Car Seat Deaths Spur Legal Responses

Fifty-three children were killed in the United States in 2018 as a result of being left in hot cars by their parents. That number has reached 27 so far for 2019.

In late July, twin infants were killed in Bronx, New York as a result of vehicular heatstroke, the scientific term for being left in a hot car. The plight of these twins has refocused attention on the national rise in infant hot car seat deaths.

In response to this national tragedy, legislators are searching for answers and solutions to this vexing problem. Legal responses seem to be at odds with the interests of auto makers, many of whom are resistant to legislation aimed at stopping infant hot car seat deaths.

For example, Hyundai and Honda have committed to making technology that reminds drivers to check the back seat for infants in car seats before leaving the vehicle. The Auto Alliance, an auto-industry trade association, favors promoting public education instead of forcing automakers to adopt technological warnings.

Those who oppose requiring technology to remind parents to check the back seat argue that it will be 20 years before the improved technology will filter down into all cars on the road at the current rate of vehicle turnover. Those who argue for the improved technology argue that cars warn you about a low battery. Shouldn't a warning to check the back seat and possibly save a child's life be at least as important?

Currently, the House and Senate are reviewing separate bills to require some sort of nationwide legislation on the federal level. In the meantime, organizations like PETA have joined the fight with catchy ad campaigns, like the one that says "Too Hot for Spot and Tot."

Time will tell if the federal government adopts a law requiring car makers to adopt technology reminding parents and adult drivers to check the back seat for infants left in hot cars. The problem, according to experts, is that most parents or adults simply forget that they have an infant child in the back seat, usually because of the parent's habit and daily routine. The problem can be compounded with rear-facing car seats, where the adult driver does not see the child's face.

If you see a child sitting in a hot car who was left in the car seat, call 911 and stay on the scene until paramedics arrive.

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