OUR KIDS AND PETS MATTER
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IT's TIME to END THE tragic headlines.
The headlines are heart-breaking and it happens over and over again. “Child dies in hot car.” “Family’s Beloved Golden Retriever Found Dead in Over-Heated Car.” That awful chapter in the history of vehicle safety is finally about to end.
The problem started in the late 1980’s when it was mandated by the government that infants and young children must ride in the back seat; for good reason – so as not to be injured by airbags that might deploy. The problem was: People forgot they had a child in the back seat.
Distracted drivers account for most of the deaths – of both people and animals – followed by unsupervised children getting into cars, doors locking and the children not knowing how to get out. The remainder of deaths occur when the driver leaves the vehicle to “do a quick errand,” and, possibly distracted, does not return until it is too late.
In 2018 52 children died in hot cars in the United States -- the highest death toll on record.
The previous single-year high was 49 deaths in 2010, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). In 2017, 40 babies and infants lost their lives in hot cars. In 2016, for the entire year, 37 children perished.
Statistics for animals are not readily available; however, there were 12 reported K-9 service dog deaths in a one month period during the Summer of 2017. If 12 service dogs died in one month, god only knows how many family pets die in hot cars each year?
Why should one more child, frail/disabled person or family pet have to suffer this agonizing death when a solution is now available? An inexpensive solution that is easily implemented.
While the death toll is small compared to statistics for auto accidents, the idea of defenseless children or family pets perishing in this agonizing way is no longer acceptable.
The solution has been found. Automobiles – all vehicles that can transport people or animals – will soon be equipped with a patented program that provides a tiered-intervention process that will sustain life in a hot (or cold) car until help can arrive.
SMART TECHNOLOGY to back up Distracted Drivers
A new invention, designed to prevent auto deaths caused by – hyperthermia or hypothermia – from being left in a car that gets too hot or too cold, is now available to all auto manufacturers.
For too long, the focus has been on the Distracted Driver: How to change behavior so such horrific accidents will cease to happen. This is not possible; or only marginally so.
A sticker on the door to remind the driver that there is a living being in the back seat soon becomes invisible to that driver who is…distracted with thoughts about something else or someone texting madly on their mobile phone.
A stuffed toy has also been suggested as a reminder; it has no more effect than a sticker.
The reminder via cell phone: Unless the driver sets the alarm…??? No reminder.
A chime attached to the child’s car seat: If not engaged…does not chime.
The focus had to shift away from behavior to what is totally reliable: fully tested, internal, native systems within the vehicle. They are already in place, doing their assigned jobs within the vehicle. It is only reasonable to look in that direction for the solution to preventing hot car deaths.
SMART CAR TECHNOLOGY IS HERE
If auto makers can include airbags that deploy automatically when needed,
If auto makers can make window wipers behave in several different ways as needed,
If auto makers can make a chime sound to remind us to fasten our seat belts,
If auto makers can create hands-free, autonomous cars to increase road and passenger safety, It is only reasonable that they can incorporate this simple, yet effective, life saving solution, along with all the others into all vehicles.
It is the right thing to do. It is the humane thing to do. It is the only thing that makes sense. No one ever expects a child or pet will die in the car they're driving. Things happen. Distractions are almost predictable.
Relieve drivers from this burden with new Auto Guardian life saving smart technology installed as standard equipment in all vehicles.
