Parents Urge Automakers, Feds to Protect Children in Vehicles

June 8, 2016, has been designated National Child Vehicular Heatstroke Prevention and Awareness Day.

As part of a campaign to raise awareness to the issue, several parents sent a letter to Anthony Foxx, secretary of the Department of Transportation, and Dr. Mark Rosekind, administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, calling for immediate action on this pervasive problem.

The families insist on technology to help prevent parents and caregivers from unknowingly leaving children alone in vehicles

The official start of summer, June 20, hasn't even arrived yet, and already this year nine children have died from heatstroke inside vehicles. That's a 225% increase compared to last year at the same time.

"The worst thing any parent or caregiver can do is think that this could never happen to them or that they are not capable of unknowingly leaving their child behind," says Janette Fennell, founder and president of KidsAndCars.org, a nonprofit child safety organization working solely to prevent injuries and deaths of children in and around motor vehicles.

"This can and does happen to the most loving, responsible and attentive parents; no one is immune," Fennell continued. Since 1990, more than 750 children have died in these preventable tragedies. An average of 37 children die every year from vehicular heatstroke.

Joan Claybrook, former NHTSA administrator. also calls on Secretary Foxx to quickly initiate a rulemaking to require a safety standard that includes technology that alerts the driver if a child is inadvertently left behind.

"We encourage individuals in all communities to take action if you see a child alone in a vehicle. Try to find the driver of the vehicle, call 911 and if the child seems to be in imminent danger, break the window furthest away from the child to rescue them," stressed Amber Andreasen, director of KidsAndCars.org. The organization offers a small tool called resqme, an all-in-one seatbelt cutter and window breaker that fits on your keychain. The spring-loaded device is tapped on the corner of a car window and the glass is shattered.

KidsAndCars.org and their safety partners will post facts and safety tips throughout the day about how child vehicular heatstroke can be prevented. They are calling on the public and media outlets to join in to support this national effort. Facebook, Twitter users and others can find photos, graphics and posts to share at http://www.kidsandcars.org/heatstroke-day.html.

Through the "Look Before You Lock" educational campaign, the first of its kind, KidsAndCars.org has already distributed more than 750,000 safety information cards to birthing hospitals nationwide. This education campaign will continue, but at the same time technology is needed to prevent these tragedies.