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When was the last time you forgot about having your kids with you? If kids everywhere are like the ones we know, then we find that possibility so ridiculous it's not even worth going over.
No matter the age, kids have an innate ability to make noise, and sitting in a car does nothing to curb it. From "are we there yet?" to fighting each other or simply crying their lungs out during their first months on this planet, kids will always make their presence felt.
Still, data shows that over 700 children (736, to be more exact) have died of heatstroke after being left inside a vehicle over the past 19 years in the U.S. alone. That, quite frankly, is unbelievable. Last year, there were 39 fatalities. This year, we're already at 36, but with the summer coming to an end, we might get lucky and that number might not grow.
It seems absurd that this problem exists, but when confronted with the cold reality of the data, there's no question that something needs to be done. Apparently, half of these deaths were caused by the driver forgetting about their little passengers, so maybe a reminder of sorts would be a good idea.
Bills for making the car manufacturers include such reminders are currently on the table in both the House and Senate. The HOT CARS Act - which is actually a clever acronym for Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act - is still a long way from being ratified, and to make matters worse, it appears to have very low chances of passing.
It stipulates that manufacturers would be given a four year period until the new regulations would become mandatory, split into two years for coming up with the solution and further two for implementing it. That's a very tight timeframe by the industry's standards, and it could be the main reason why the act won't pass.
However, the authorities must admit to the existence of a problem, and they must find a way to deal with it. Whether that's by coercing car manufacturers to add more gear to their vehicles or by a public awareness campaign is up to them to decide, but an average of 37 child lives a year lost to in-vehicle heatstrokes can't go on.
Still, data shows that over 700 children (736, to be more exact) have died of heatstroke after being left inside a vehicle over the past 19 years in the U.S. alone. That, quite frankly, is unbelievable. Last year, there were 39 fatalities. This year, we're already at 36, but with the summer coming to an end, we might get lucky and that number might not grow.
It seems absurd that this problem exists, but when confronted with the cold reality of the data, there's no question that something needs to be done. Apparently, half of these deaths were caused by the driver forgetting about their little passengers, so maybe a reminder of sorts would be a good idea.
Bills for making the car manufacturers include such reminders are currently on the table in both the House and Senate. The HOT CARS Act - which is actually a clever acronym for Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act - is still a long way from being ratified, and to make matters worse, it appears to have very low chances of passing.
It stipulates that manufacturers would be given a four year period until the new regulations would become mandatory, split into two years for coming up with the solution and further two for implementing it. That's a very tight timeframe by the industry's standards, and it could be the main reason why the act won't pass.
However, the authorities must admit to the existence of a problem, and they must find a way to deal with it. Whether that's by coercing car manufacturers to add more gear to their vehicles or by a public awareness campaign is up to them to decide, but an average of 37 child lives a year lost to in-vehicle heatstrokes can't go on.
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