Children Left in Vehicles
Each year when summertime temperatures outside soar to 100
degrees, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach 150 degrees. A
locked vehicle is clearly no place to leave a child alone. But, it
happens and frequency is on the rise.
A child left alone in a vehicle when the temperature outside is 90 or above can die within five minutes. However, in most states, there is no law that punishes people
who leave children unattended in vehicles and an injury or fatality occurs. Only three
states have laws that punish people for leaving a child unattended in a vehicle that results in injury or death: Kentucky, Missouri and Texas. Seven states have laws that provide for a fine for leaving a child unattended in a vehicle: Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Washington. It should be noted that Texas allows a child to be unattended for up to five minutes and Illinois up to 10 minutes before any criminal wrongdoing has occurred. Safety advocates have proposed model legislation to prevent leaving a child unattended in a vehicle even for a minute.
 Caregivers must also be educated on the hazards of leaving
children unattended in a vehicle. If you see a child inside a vehicle,
it is hot and the engine is not running, break the window and save
the child. If you see a child inside a vehicle, it is hot and the engine
is running, put a note on the windshield that reminds people of the
dangers of leaving a child unattended inside a vehicle. A sample
note has already been prepared by .www.kidsincars.org
What exposure do vehicle manufacturers face when this appears to be a situation where the parents and caregivers are exclusively to blame? Imagine this scenario. A father who never takes his child to school is asked to take his child to school. The father loads up his child in the rear facing child seat where the child quickly returns to sleep. Before he leaves the house, a business call comes into the house that requires the dad to rush into work like he routinely does every day. The dad parks in the parking lot and goes into his office. The dad receives a call from his wife several hours later asking how dropping the child off at school went. The dad then realizes that he forgot his child in his vehicle. Upon returning
to the parking lot, the father finds his child dead in his child seat. Because of the father's innocent oversight, his child is dead. For those of you who believe this could never happen to them, I encourage you to watch the movie the Key Man.The story is telling.
Rather than blame solely that innocent father, I believe the vehicle manufacturer should be held partly responsible. Vehicle manufacturers provide warnings when our seat belts are not on, when we leave our lights on, when we leave keys in the ignition, when our doors are ajar, when our trunk is ajar, when our windshield washer fluid is low, when our engine's oil, water, and brake fluid levels are low. Why not provide a reminder sensor when our children are left unattended in our vehicle? Why not provide an alarm that goes off when an occupant remains in the vehicle over a minute after the vehicle is turned off?
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