RE: Let’s stop these preventable deaths

 

It’s the start of another school year, and as any parent knows, it’s also a start to a whole new routine. Unfortunately, those changes in routine can lead to heartbreaking tragedies when a parent or caregiver forgets a child in the backseat of a car. A child dies on average every 10 days from heat stroke after being left in a vehicle. And If you’d like to think you would never forget a child in a car, think again. Experts say this is a common memory problem, not negligence, exacerbated by sleep deprivation, stress of parenting – or a change in routines.  Affordable technology exists right now that can detect a child left in a car and alert the driver – we just need automakers to make this safety feature standard. Join thousands of others who’ve already signed our petition calling for advanced detection technology in all new vehicles. Sign the Petition Thanks, for helping us put an end to these tragedies. Meg  ______________________________________________________________ As temperatures soar, we’re all on high alert to the damaging effects of heat. But the most vulnerable among us – infants and toddlers – are dying from heatstroke inside vehicles at a staggering rate: a child dies on average every 10 days. Stories of parents or caregivers changing their routine and forgetting a child in the backseat are tragic, yet all too common. With the adoption of front airbags and requirements that car safety seats be rear-facing – making it harder for drivers to see a child in the back – an average of 38 children die each year from heatstroke inside a vehicle.  But together we can help end these tragedies. Affordable technology exists right now that can detect a child left in the car and alert the driver – we just need to let automakers know this safety feature should be standard in all new cars, and not a luxury add-on. Send a message to automakers to include this technology in all new vehicles, and let’s prevent these tragic deaths. Sign the Petition If you’d like to think you would never forget a child in a car, think again. Experts say this is a common memory problem - not negligence - exacerbated by sleep deprivation, stress of parenting, or a change in routines. And even when temperatures outside seem moderate, temperatures inside cars rise rapidly, putting a child in danger of heatstroke. Advanced detection technology can alert drivers to the presence of a child in the backseat by honking the horn and notifying them via an alert on their smartphone app. Already being added to cars in Europe, this technology would cost car buyers as little as $20, according to government estimates. But to get U.S. automakers on board and make this life-saving technology standard – and not a luxury add-on – it’s going to take all of us speaking out. Join us in telling automakers to do the right thing by families, and include this technology in their new vehicles. Sign the Petition Please share this with friends and family so they can join you in taking action. And please read and share our tips to prevent hot-car deaths, or watch this recent report. Meg Bohne Consumer Reports
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