Bronx Attorney Assesses Reliability Of Forgotten Child Car-Safety Devices

How can anyone forget they have a baby or a young child in the car? Such incidents are deadly, but they may happen more often than you think. According to USA Today, 550 children have died from heat strokes since 1998 as a direct result of being left in the car. There were 33 cases in 2011, and the data is still being collected for 2012.

Recently, we discussed the best safety technologies for older drivers; today, we will talk about forgotten-child car safety devices.

In an effort to prevent these horrific car accidents, manufacturers have come out with electronic child safety devices to help parents remember their children. Examples of these include the Smart Clip and Smart Pad by ChildMinder, as well as the Suddenly Safe Pressure Pad. These work by placing a device where your child sits, as well as another device by the driver’s seat. A warning will go off before you get out of the car.

While the safety devices are good in theory, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that they aren’t very effective in preventing child heat strokes in the car. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, the devices aren’t fully error-proof, as they can un-synch at any time.

Another problem is the age of the child. While forgotten-child accidents seem exclusive to young children, these types of accidents have occurred in children up to 14 years of age. Older children are more likely to tamper with the devices while the parent and driver of the vehicle don’t see this occurring.

Awareness is the best way to prevent forgotten-child accidents. By staying aware of your surroundings and knowing that these deadly accidents can happen to anyone, you are more likely to keep your children safe.