FL - Kyrese Anderson, 3, dies in hot car, Manatee County, 22 June 2013

[Gardenlady]

Civil suits ARE often the only way consumers can affect change. If folks don't like that, they should consider changing it by voting for politicians who are instead in favor of more safety regulations for things like transportation, food, etc, and in favor of giving the agencies that are supposed to be overseeing these things some TEETH to enforce!

Instead, we have a good segment of the population who don't want safety regulations for much of anything, who don't want agencies to be able to oversee the safety regulation, and then complain when Jane Q Public files suit because that is the only recourse she has been left with! :banghead:

 

[keeponsearching]

We have all sorts of reminders or helpers. To taking your key out, and the lights are still on, it dings constantly. Not buckling, it dings every few seconds. Sensors when backing up, not only lights but also a loud noise. Some have backup cameras. Lets talk about the blue tooth technology. Not only that, but my jetta, which I don't have anymore had auto windows that would come back down if something got in the way. Every singe person could have a lawsuit for any of those. Those are all safety features. I think it is time to work on the backseats. One death is to many.

My only thing is, if you stop your car and hop right out, how will you even see a sensor or hear one? I think it needs to be on the outside, maybe when you go to lock your doors they make a new noise. But that would only work if you lock your doors....

 

[nao]

i dislike electronic windows and doors. In the old style you actually have to turn around or look to check and roll up the windows and lock the doors, i'd like to have the option.

A couple of times, even after taking the detour to drop my child at caregiver, i'd drive right past, only upon arriving at my destination and looking back to check my doors are locked and windows up, would i realize my child is still there. If i'd just had a button to press, why would i look back? Also i think it makes abductions much easier. jmo

 

[rabidstoat]

I don't have children, but twice in the past six months I have forgotten groceries in the backseat of my car for multiple hours. It happened when I was shopping on what wasn't the normal day of the week, and at what wasn't my normal grocery store, and when my primary objective for being out and running errands wasn't for grocery shopping. Both times I apparently put the groceries in the backseat, drove the half hour home, then went inside and continued my day absolutely forgetting about them for several hours.

Both times this happened, I immediately thought about people forgetting children in cars. Obviously a child is more important than groceries but I think it's the same 'disruption in routine' circumstances that contribute to these cases. It actually scared me, thinking about how easy it as to completely forget about the groceries in the backseat, as I know that there are deaths each year with parents and small children and similar circumstances.

 

[21merc7]

I feel so sorry for this family. I cannot imagine the pain they are suffering. I will leave it at that on that topic.

As far as dinging reminders go. Forget it. I don't even hear all the dinging things in my car anymore. I ignore sounds or get used to them and no longer notice them. I live in a city with a lot of sounds going on all the time though.

I do agree cars should not be automated everything though. I think that would be helpful. However, were there not other children in the back seat with this one? I know if the baby is small the car seat must be turned facing the rear, so you don't really see into the car seat, but you do see getting the other children out and if there ever was a ding to remind, the other children were it.

Again, I know horrible accidents happen, and I really do feel sorry for them. I cannot imagine and do not want to.

 

[keeponsearching]

I always notice the dingy noise of my seat belt reminding me to buckle. I always buckle up but not when I am just slowly driving in a parking lot. I can't stand repetitive noise so that could be why. My husband has a 2010 Chevy and it has no power anything, my sister drives a 2010 Toyota and again, no power. So they still make cars like that, just the standard vehicles.

Maybe it should be a car seat feature. I am not sure of how the technology would work, but I am sure if we have smart phones we could have affordable or all car seats are required the technology. So lets say it's all set to go. You get out of your car and you have very limited time to reach your children, to input maybe a code or even just hit a button. Lets say time passes, an alarm on the seats could go off , even a message to your phone, the alarm could be a bluetooth thingy and make the car alarm go off wouldn't want to scare the baby. Anyways there are so many possibilities.

 

[cityslick]

The issue with all these suggestions of reminders is in about 50% of these cases, it's not a situation where the parent(s) are distracted from their routine (like going to a funeral or not communicating which one took the kid out). It's usually the mother (or father) going into Walmart or a bar and leaving the kid in the car to 'wait' (meaning they purposely leave the kid in the car because they don't think they'll be very long). For a baby/very young child, it doesn't take very long to succumb to heat on a very hot day. Heck, you're not even supposed to leave your dog in a hot car and they are not even in car seats yet people do that.

It just seems silly to me, to make an invention to accommodate parents that are not aware of their own kids.

 

[keeponsearching]

The issue with all these suggestions of reminders is in about 50% of these cases, it's not a situation where the parent(s) are distracted from their routine (like going to a funeral or not communicating which one took the kid out). It's usually the mother (or father) going into Walmart or a bar and leaving the kid in the car to 'wait' (meaning they purposely leave the kid in the car because they don't think they'll be very long). For a baby/very young child, it doesn't take very long to succumb to heat on a very hot day. Heck, you're not even supposed to leave your dog in a hot car and they are not even in car seats yet people do that.

It just seems silly to me, to make an invention to accommodate parents that are not aware of their own kids.

I'll never forget this case, http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Mom-recalls-death-of-baby-she-left-in-car-3227474.php

This is just one reason of many for me, that something needs to be done.

 

[Sonya610]

My only thing is, if you stop your car and hop right out, how will you even see a sensor or hear one? I think it needs to be on the outside, maybe when you go to lock your doors they make a new noise. But that would only work if you lock your doors....

There have been MANY such devices patented. Lots of people have thought about it has have major corporations. For some odd reason in the end none choose to market the product. Notice one of patent holders is General Motors.

Citing Patent Filing date Publication date Applicant Title
US6924742 * Feb 25, 2003 Aug 2, 2005 Fred Mesina Baby seat belt alarm system
US7106207 Jun 15, 2005 Sep 12, 2006 Marchan Leonito E Vehicle child seat alarm
US7123157 * Aug 11, 2004 Oct 17, 2006 Best Mark S Car-seat occupied baby-on-board indicator alarm
US7218211 * Aug 31, 2004 May 15, 2007 General Motors Corporation Vehicle-based vehicle occupant reminder using capacitive field-based sensor
US7348889 * Sep 12, 2005 Mar 25, 2008 Joseph J Monzo Baby car seat alarm system
US7466217 * Apr 24, 2008 Dec 16, 2008 International Business Machines Corporation System for determining abandonment of child in unattended vehicle
US7592905 * Jun 28, 2006 Sep 22, 2009 Barton Darlene K Apparatus and method to detect the presence of a child in a vehicle
US7714737 Aug 8, 2007 May 11, 2010 James Morningstar Warning system for child left unattended in vehicle
US7786852 Mar 19, 2008 Aug 31, 2010 Kautz Greg C Method and system for preventing leaving a child in an unattended vehicle
US8063788 May 7, 2010 Nov 22, 2011 James Morningstar Unattended child alert system and method
US8232874 * Sep 26, 2009 Jul 31, 2012 Dennis Aneiros Vehicle child seat safety system
US20090146813 * Aug 29, 2008 Jun 11, 2009 Acropolis Engineering Automobile forgotten passenger alarm and notification
US20100253504 * Apr 3, 2009 Oct 7, 2010 Lliteras Anthony J Method for wirelessly monitoring the presence or absence of one or more persons and associated person monitoring system
US20130009766 * Jul 8, 2011 Jan 10, 2013 Shaw Thomas J Access and Egress Detection System for Assignable Location
WO2009144687A2 * Aug 1, 2009 Dec 3, 2009 Moshe Attias Infant safety alert system and method

http://www.google.com/patents/US20030122662

 

[Donjeta]

The issue with all these suggestions of reminders is in about 50% of these cases, it's not a situation where the parent(s) are distracted from their routine (like going to a funeral or not communicating which one took the kid out). It's usually the mother (or father) going into Walmart or a bar and leaving the kid in the car to 'wait' (meaning they purposely leave the kid in the car because they don't think they'll be very long). For a baby/very young child, it doesn't take very long to succumb to heat on a very hot day. Heck, you're not even supposed to leave your dog in a hot car and they are not even in car seats yet people do that.

It just seems silly to me, to make an invention to accommodate parents that are not aware of their own kids.

Maybe it wouldn't seem so silly if you were the child who got overlooked?

 

[Sonya610]

The issue with all these suggestions of reminders is in about 50% of these cases, it's not a situation where the parent(s) are distracted from their routine (like going to a funeral or not communicating which one took the kid out). It's usually the mother (or father) going into Walmart or a bar and leaving the kid in the car to 'wait' (meaning they purposely leave the kid in the car because they don't think they'll be very long). For a baby/very young child, it doesn't take very long to succumb to heat on a very hot day. Heck, you're not even supposed to leave your dog in a hot car and they are not even in car seats yet people do that.

It just seems silly to me, to make an invention to accommodate parents that are not aware of their own kids.

Good point PLUS no alarm would help if the parent is intentionally leaving the kid in the car "for a few minutes". If alarms were required (and they would HAVE TO BE required because the idiots that do this wouldn't bother to buy them) then we know who will end up paying for them and it won't the parents!

I know many here will chime in and say they would be HAPPY to pay more for every car they buy or pay more in taxes so that every irresponsible parent can have a baby alarm (that they may or may not use) but I for one do not want to pay for it.

I know around here it is not uncommon to hear about a fatal house fire that had non-functioning smoke alarms that were provided free by the city and paid for by taxpayers. Either the people that got those free alarms NEVER bothered to plug them in or they didn't bother to replace the batteries -- either way they were HAPPY to get a free alarm when someone else was paying for it even though they didn't bother to use it!

 

[Trident]

Does it matter who pays for them as long as ONE child's life is saved. Have we no compassion for others?

The Bible does tell us, the "love" of money is the root of all evil.

I'd pay, even with my own life, to save one of these little ones.

 

[burbqueen]

i feel so strongly about being a parent. I live in Texas, its waaay to hot here. Ive seen people leave the air on and run into a store quickly to get something on purpose cause they dont feel like taking in their kid.

Not the same situation with these folks, but I have just one child, but my son is always on my mind when I have him in my car. I talk to my son. He is 3. DO people just get in the car, turn up the radio, text, make a ph call or whatnot and dont even interact with their kid?!?

I swear our society seems always forever distracted and using it as an excuse. Its like no one is extra careful anymore. I would just die of guilt if something like this happens to me. Thats why I always look in the back seat. I'm paranoid like that, but I'm starting to think im the only one, which is sad.

 

[Donjeta]

I expect it is less of a danger with alert, talking toddlers but many children fall asleep easily during car rides.

 

[burbqueen]

yeah, but shouldnt it be automatic to a parent to get out of a car and think, "oh yeah my kid". It is for me. I'm dumbfounded, truly. even when I'm out of the normal routine. I use my rearview mirror to look back there every once and a while.

How would a parent know if their kid may have fallen out of the carseat or unbuckled it? I know my son has done that a few times. unbuckled his seat then fell asleep.

 

[cityslick]

Does it matter who pays for them as long as ONE child's life is saved. Have we no compassion for others?

The Bible does tell us, the "love" of money is the root of all evil.

I'd pay, even with my own life, to save one of these little ones.

I think the point being made is even if you put some sort of alarm in the car to notify you that you left your kid in the car, it's not going to cut down on these types of incidents as much as you think based on my post above.

I seriously question how much a parent must be 'distracted' to completely forget that their child is not with them when they were the ones who put them in the car. These are babies almost all the time, where a parents focus should always be prioritized to no matter where you are going.

 

[popsicle]

yeah, but shouldnt it be automatic to a parent to get out of a car and think, "oh yeah my kid". It is for me. I'm dumbfounded, truly. even when I'm out of the normal routine. I use my rearview mirror to look back there every once and a while.

How would a parent know if their kid may have fallen out of the carseat or unbuckled it? I know my son has done that a few times. unbuckled his seat then fell asleep.

With my girls I talked to them in the car all the time. I put a mirror on my sun visor so they could see me and I could see them when talking. I could also check on them as needed that way.

 

[LJKaust]

Firstly, my condolences to the family. I cannot imagine how much pain you are in right now and I feel sick over what you must be going through. Rest peacefully little man

Secondly, I can see how this could easily happen. Parent or caregiver is tired, stressed and/or has a heap of things on their mind, child is home sick from daycare and falls asleep, parent drives to do their weekly shopping which is usually done while child is at daycare, parks car and gets a phonecall as they are getting out of the car and walks off talking on the phone. Obviously that is not what happened here, and I imagine that these parents were very upset and just trying to get through what would've been a difficult day. Maybe they each thought the other had taken the child in?

There is no comparison between tragic accidents like this and some idiot getting drunk or going shopping, leaving the child in the car intentionally!