Nearly 40 children die in hot cars every year in the United States.
As hard as it is to imagine, most parents say they simply forgot their kids. "So you take your handbag, you put it on the floor, right by the car seat, now you're forced to open the door every time you get to your destination,” said Sue Auriemma, Vice President of Kids and Cars. "Keep a stuffed animal in that car seat. When you put the baby in the morning, you move the stuffed animal to the front seat next to you. And there's always a visual reminder that the baby is with you." Parents are also encouraged to take advantage of the latest technology. When you turn off your car, the Evenflo car seat chimes to remind you your child is buckled in. GMC and Nissan both have vehicles with an alert system to remind drivers to check the rear seats. Congress is now considering legislation requiring the technology in all new cars. "The worst mistake a parent can make is thinking this couldn't happen to them," said Auriemma. 2 Wants to Know’s Kevin Kennedy looked at an app that reminds you that your child is in the back seat. Click here to find that full story. About a third of these deaths occur when unsupervised kids get into the car and accidently lock themselves in. It’s a good idea to keep the doors locked and the keys out of their reach.
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