What steps should be taken to protect kids from being left in a car.

[RANCH]

I wouldn't think the "law" would apply until the child was found.

If your child dies inside the car, you didn't look before you locked and can expect jail time.

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That's what I don't get about this new law. If a child is killed by a negligent person why isn't there already laws in place to deal with that? A far as I know there are. Why do we need new laws?

 

[gngr~snap]

I'm scratching my head. We have child safety locks on the back door. Electric windows that won't roll down if a child could get out of the seat. Our kids are so "safe" they are getting killed in hot cars. Does that make any sense?

Maybe they need a string like they have in hospital bathrooms, or a big red CALL button.[emoji64] It won't help.babies.

The 3 yr old that got into the Envoy in South Carolina with his dog had managed to turns the hazard lights on.


"Relatives found Logan in the car when they noticed the hazard lights blinking"

http://www.thestate.com/2014/07/06/3550487/three-year-old-sc-boy-dies-days.html

That's what I don't get about this new law. If a child is killed by a negligent person why isn't there already laws in place to deal with that? A far as I know there are. Why do we need new laws?

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[Elley Mae]

I believe all states should enact laws that REQUIRE drivers to look over the entire inside of their parked car before they lock the doors. The "Look Before You Lock" procedure is now a suggestion but I think there is something brewing (petitions, maybe?) to get this made into law.

I personally feel that if everyone got into the habit of taking a minute to check for anything important they may be forgetting in the car, children would be less at risk of injury or death. Unfortunately many people will not do this if they are not required to do it. I think people should not pass their drivers test unless they perform this procedure at the end of their road test without being prompted. With such laws making failure to look a felony, if any child is found without supervision locked in a vehicle the parent/caregiver could be charged with a felony--no more excuses about it being an accident.

I am interested in what other WSers think about the "Look Before You Lock" law but also would like suggestions of what might be done from those who oppose such legislation.

An app on cell phone that would MAKE you pee yourself when you got 10 feet from the car. Like an electrical shock. Everybody has a cell phone they don't forget.

 

[CHERIE.T]

Elley,

 

[Lovejac]

I think hospitals should talk about this when discharging new parents. When they go over their spiel about back sleeping, feedings, baths, etc

I would also like to see pediatricians discuss it too, at every well child visit, maybe hand out brochures with a "look before you lock" sticker.

Common sense isn't as common as we think, and if doing these things could save one life, it would be worth it, .

 

[popsicle]

An app on cell phone that would MAKE you pee yourself when you got 10 feet from the car. Like an electrical shock. Everybody has a cell phone they don't forget.

Why not?

FOX 5 DC ‏@fox5newsdc 4m
New wristband will shock users if they miss fitness goals http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/26103663/new-wristband-will-shock-users-if-they-miss-fitness-goals …

 

[nomoresorrow]

We already have a great device developed by NASA (2003) - we just have to get it to market. It should be mandatory for parents to have one for every child 5 and under. More at link;

http://classroomclips.org/video/1240

 

[human]

Children have no one to advocate for themselves. They have to rely on adults.

Children are not possessions. We have no laws that deny anyone the right to have a child. There are no IQ tests or love tests or skills tests.

So, we have to continue to make laws and things that kids use, such as cribs, safe.

A look law would only apply if you have a child with you. No one is watching. No one is watching the bus driver. But if the driver forgets a child on the bus, deep doo doo. Same with someone who would forget a child in a car.

I am sure there would be some tragic examples, but then word would spread.

People would make their own systems if they knew there were heavy consequences.

 

[gngr~snap]

We already have a great device developed by NASA (2003) - we just have to get it to market. It should be mandatory for parents to have one for every child 5 and under. More at link;

http://classroomclips.org/video/1240

Like I said, the "powers that be" have little to no concern about children. Their lives are not valued in society like they should be. No one is taking amy time to write laws to protect the children and punish the parents. No one wants to be bothered by requiring a safety system be factory installed to save lives.

Car alarms are factory installed. They are not required by law, yet every car comes equipped with one. They don't save lives, they prevent theft because people don't want their cars stolen.
IMO it really points to where Americans priorities are, cars are necessary and expensive.
(Never mind the fact that some people's car payment is more per month than they pay for daycare.)

sad state we are in.

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[nomoresorrow]

Straight-on gngr~snap, it's the cold hard truth. Perhaps we should attach parent's iphones to their children...they'd never forgot them in the car again.

 

[gngr~snap]

Straight-on gngr~snap, it's the cold hard truth. Perhaps we should attach parent's iphones to their children...they'd never forgot them in the car again.

I found a change.org petition asking Obama and car manufacturers to move on it
and prevent child heat stroke deaths in vehicles.

All posts are MOO

 

[SStarr33]

We need fewer laws, not more.

 

[Kip]

I'm all for the education route.

IMO, people get used to stickers and eventually don't even notice them any more.

I like the "trick" of always leaving cell phone, purse, wallet, briefcase, suit jacket, or shoe in the back seat - something that you will need after you stop the car.

Pediatricians should educate parents about the danger and ask at well-check visits what measures parents have in place to prevent this.

 

[human]

We need fewer laws, not more.

Why? Laws are made because a need has been found.

For instance, beating your wife used to be totally acceptable.

Smoking in stores and elevators used to be the norm.

Hard to imagine

 

[MyBelle]

Why? Laws are made because a need has been found.

For instance, beating your wife used to be totally acceptable.

Smoking in stores and elevators used to be the norm.

Hard to imagine

Unfortunately, laws have not ended the infliction of violence on women. Laws haven't ended smoking. No law can prevent people neglecting their children whether it be leaving them in the car or alone in the bathtub.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

We need fewer laws, not more.

ITA. If we could legislate common sense, I'd be all for it. I think the law requiring infant seats in the backseat is what started this epidemic of dead babies in hot cars in the first place.

 

[al66pine]

I'm all for the education route.
IMO, people get used to stickers and eventually don't even notice them any more.
I like the "trick" of always leaving cell phone, purse, wallet, briefcase, suit jacket, or shoe in the back seat - something that you will need after you stop the car.

BBM SBM

I'm all for anything that helps a driver to remember the child in back seat, but does the cell, wallet, briefcase or suit jacket really to it?
More so on drives from home to child care than the return trip, child care site to home.

After arriving home, parent normally takes those items into the house, but would they automatically 'miss them'
the same way as at work where briefcase is needed, or going to store, etc. where money or CC is needed to pay?

The shoe trick might work better than the other ideas listed.
Getting child into car seat,
Seeing sticker on dash - leave shoe in back seat.
Removing a shoe and placing next to child in car seat.
That, imo, could serve as a better reminder system.
Who exits from a car, with only one shoe and goes to work, store, or anywhere?

Like other reminder systems or electronic devices, probs occur when parenteither
--- ignores the manual system,
Ex: It's hot, raining, snowing, or cold, and after parent puts child in carseat,
does not want to remove shoe & hop on one leg to driver-front seat, or to put naked/stocking foot on hot/cold/wet pavement.
Ex: Parent wants/needs to have cell convo while driving, so after call(s), puts cell back in pocket or on front seat.

--- or disables the electronic system, or system fails.
Ex: when child is sleeping in back seat and, during drive parent disables alarm-sound for fob, cell, bracelet or device,
so as not to wake child, when parent takes child in seat to drop at sitter. Whoops, drives to work, leaves child in car.
Ex: battery on fob, cell, bracelet, or device runs down, fails to sound alarm.
Ex: Fob, cell, bracelet is dropped on ground or water, is damaged, no longer works.

Many good ideas here.
With so many variables, it's difficult find a universal solution, either low-tech or electronic.

 

[Donjeta]

A look law would only apply if you have a child with you. No one is watching. No one is watching the bus driver. But if the driver forgets a child on the bus, deep doo doo. Same with someone who would forget a child in a car.

.

But then if you remember to look because you know the law applies to you it means you remember you have a child with you. You forget about having the child, you likely forget about this law and the consequences too.
If it's not enforceable / enforced until you leave a child in the car then everybody who drives sometimes without a child might fail to check so often (because they know they didn't load a child in the backseat) that it doesn't ever become routine that you always do, just something that you do whenever you already remember that the kids are with you.

Put shoes and bag next to the car seat, no one would forget their shoes.

 

[Ruby]

If air bags were the reason to place car seats and children in the backseat to begin with,
why not do something with the air bags to bring the children to the front seat again.

Could the air bags be made smaller - could they expand just enough to prevent windshield fly through, but not so big that it explodes in the face of the passenger?

:dunno:

 

[human]

Unfortunately, laws have not ended the infliction of violence on women. Laws haven't ended smoking. No law can prevent people neglecting their children whether it be leaving them in the car or alone in the bathtub.

JMO

It does not stop the violence against women, but at least the abuser is arrested.,,Huge difference from people just turning their backs on it and making women think they deserve it.

As far as smoking, if people want to smoke, whatever.

But those of us who do not don't have to be in a store or an elevator with it.

No law= no recourse