Advocates Call for Mandatory Hot Car Safety Technology
As summer temperatures rise, advocates are intensifying their push for federal regulations demanding technology in cars designed to prevent children from dying in hot vehicles.
According to Kids and Car Safety, an average of 38 children die each year in overheated cars. So far in 2024, three children have already lost their lives.
Across from the Department of Transportation headquarters, advocates displayed 1,086 infant onesies, representing the number of children who have died in hot cars since 1990.
Congress mandated the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to implement a rule requiring a system to alert drivers to check the back seat after the car is turned off. The deadline for a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was missed in December 2022, followed by a missed deadline for a final rule in November 2023.
Amber Rollins, director of Kids and Car Safety, told ABC News, “They had two years to assess the available technology and create a final rule. It’s almost a year past the deadline, and they haven’t even issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.”
The new deadline for NHTSA to issue the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is August 2024.
NHTSA stated they are exploring options beyond the initial congressional requirements, including more sophisticated technology that can detect and alert parents if a child is in the back seat. The agency is testing various systems and investigating retrofitting existing cars with rear-seat alert systems.
Currently, cars feature two main types of technology: end-of-trip reminders and occupant detection. Occupant detection uses sensors to identify movement or heartbeats, while end-of-trip reminders prompt drivers to check the back seat.
Occupant detection, which is available in some Hyundai and Kia models, is considered the most effective.
Until federal regulations are passed, Rollins suggests several safety tips:
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Keep car doors locked.
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Be extra vigilant when routines change.
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Use a stuffed animal as a visual reminder in the front seat.
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Place an essential item in the back seat.
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Childproof car doors and use alarms.
