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Hot car deaths of children prompt car alert legislation
A one-year-old boy in Texas died this week in the back his mother's car, becoming the 30th child in the United States this year to succumb to heatstroke while left behind in a car seat, according to the advocacy group KidsAndCars.org. As in many of other hot-car-related deaths, the Texas mother, an attorney, thought she had dropped her son off at daycare before she went to work, according to police in Dayton, a city about 30 miles northeast of Houston.
New legislation to require technology to be placed in vehicles to prevent child heatstroke deaths
Kids and Cars announced on Thursday a major bill they are purposing that is aimed at saving kids' lives. The non-profit group says the bill is called the "Hot Cars Act of 2016." It stands for "helping overcome trauma for children alone in rear seats act." 29 children have died needlessly so far this year, 30-percent get into the cars by themselves. Kids and Cars, which is dedicated to keeping kids safe around vehicles, says the technology is there to prevent child heatstroke so they're working to make it a requirement in cars.
Technology Could Help Prevent Hot Car Deaths
Today U.S. Representatives from Ohio, New York and Illinois introduced the Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act (HOT CARS Act of 2016, H.R. 6041), a critical piece of legislation that would prevent children from being needlessly killed and injured when left alone in vehicles. The HOT CARS Act would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue a final rule within two years for a reminder system to alert the driver if a child is left unattended in a vehicle. “Every year, dozens of children die when left in vehicles – one child every nine days,” said Rep. Schakowsky (IL). “These are horrible, preventable tragedies. The technology exists to prevent these deaths.
HOT CARS Act of 2016 Introduced Today Will Prevent Child Heatstroke Deaths
Today, U.S. Representatives Tim Ryan (D-13th OH), Peter King (R-2nd NY) and Jan Schakowsky (D-9th IL) introduced the Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act (HOT CARS Act of 2016, H.R. 6041), a critical piece of legislation that would prevent children from being needlessly killed and injured when left alone in vehicles. The bi-partisan effort has already received widespread support from more than fifteen of the nation’s leading public health, consumer and safety organizations, as well as an expert in neuroscience and the brain memory system, along with families who have lost their child or were seriously injured due to child vehicular heatstroke. “My heart breaks when I think of the 37 children whose lives are cut short each year because they were trapped in a hot vehicle. The unfortunate reality is that even good, loving parents can get distracted. Studies have shown that this can happen to anyone, anywhere.
Why Do We Prosecute Some People Whose Children Die In Hot Cars, But Not Others?
Alexandria Fire and EMS officials participate in a demonstration of the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles during a news conference to launch the "Look Before You Lock" campaign at the Campagna Center at George Washington Head Started August 17, 2012 in Alexandria, Virginia. 23 children in the United States have already died from hyperthermia this year after being left in hot cars.
