Research Suggests That Leaving a Kid in a Hot Car Can Happen to Anyone
Vehicular heatstroke deaths are more common than most caregivers think, and can happen to just about anyone.
Written by Allison Stone
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
One of the most alarmingly common
tragedies
that can occur during the summer months is vehicular heatstroke
. According to a recent story from Consumer Reports, vehicular heatstroke deaths can happen to children in the care of almost anyone from parents, to teachers, to social workers, and even law enforcement. There is no correlation between socioeconomic status or role in the child’s life that could indicate a higher risk factor for vehicular heatstroke-related death—it truly can happen to anyone. Even on a day when the temperature is a mild 60° F, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach a potentially fatal 110° F in just a few hours.
Hor car deaths are not negligence, but a memory problem
According to David Diamond, a professor of psychology at the University of South Florida, forgetting a child in a hot car could happen to anyone because it’s more related to memory than negligence.
Of the 900 children who have died in hot cars, more than half were left behind unknowingly, and added stress in the everyday lives of parents and caregivers can lead to memory lapses.
“The most common response is that only bad or negligent parents forget kids in cars,” said Diamond as reported by
Consumer Reports
. “It’s a matter of circumstances. It can happen to anyone.”Other experts, like Janet Fennell of
KidsAndCars.org
, says, “the worst thing any parent or caregiver can ever do is to think that something like this could never happen to them or someone in their family.”Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
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New technology is aiming to stop hot car deaths
Memory failure, especially in caregivers who are experiencing stress or sleep deprivation, is completely normal, but there are some extra steps you can put in place to make it a lot less likely.
You can set periodic reminders on your phone to check in with yourself, your spouse, or your child’s caregiver, but there’s also technology you can put directly in your car that can help. In 2017, GM was the first-ever automaker to implement a rear-seat reminder in one of their cars, and since then many other manufacturers have adopted the technology.
Some occupant sensing alert systems in cars can even send a notification to the driver’s phone or email when an occupant is left unattended in the backseat. If your car isn’t equipped with this kind of system, never fear, because some car seats are, such as SensorSafe from Goodbaby.
Driving a safer car can actually save you money
Did you also know that the safer your car is, the more money you could potentially
save on car insurance
?Sign up with
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