Hot Car Act

[mjkacmom]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/25/health/hot-car-deaths-explained/index.html

 

[3 MEN AND A BOAT]

The idea behind this is well intended but I'm not sure I agree with a law requiring it. A couple of thoughts, how much will this add to the cost of vehicles? Vehicles that are already expensive. What about like previously posted packages placed in the back seat, can it simply be turned off? My sinical side questions whether some of these so called accidents are accidents? A law never gets undone once in place so I default to not creating more laws.
I'll have to think on this a little more.

 

[justussix]

A safe crib is different than forgetting that ones child is in the back seat. I just can't understand how someone could be so neglectful. And why does it seem so prevalent now.

It seems so prevalent now because of the 24/7 news cycle and the internet. That part should be obvious. 30 years ago, here in the Midwest, we wouldn't even get the news about a case like this in Texas or Atlanta. Doesn't really make the radar of the 30 minute national news segment at 6:30 on the networks.

 

[luvsJack]

I don't see how it can happen. It never even came close to happening to me and I know I have much more going on than most people. I'm not sure a good parent would forget and leave their child behind. Thankfully it doesn't happen often but it's something that should never happen.

It's wonderful that it never happened to you but it has happened to good parents. Not sure what you have going on but something tells me it could always be more.

For some parents it's been a result of sleep deprivation. For some it's the stress of taking care of a sick child. For some it's just being distracted by work, other family, financial problems etc.

Why on earth would anyone object to anything that makes a precious child safer?

And btw, those warnings on meds come in handy if the pharmacist or doctor makes a mistake. They are human and it can happen. If the warning on a medication bottle is a contradiction of what your dr tells you to do, time to question the pharmacist and/or the dr.

Personally, I like all the new safety features on cars. We are all human and we all get distracted at times.

 

[Klayfish]

It happens time and again, and to good, caring parents, especially when they share the responsibility of dropping off the child at daycare, for instance.
If you think it could never happen to you, that is what everyone thinks, yet it happens every year.
Children are better protected when we understand it can, and does, tragically happen to good parents who make a horrible mistake.

I guess it's a subject we'll have to "agree to disagree" on.

Call me elitist, call me someone who thinks they're a perfect parent, think of me what you will, but I can assure you that leaving my child in a hot car is something that never came remotely close to happening to me, and never in a million years would. It just wouldn't. You can also call me judgmental, I can live with that, but just IMO no matter how much a parent loves their child if they leave them in the back of a hot car and they die, you just won't get me to say "Oh, they were a good parent". Sorry, I won't. There's no excuse. None.

I'll be the first to say I'm not a "perfect" parent, though I'm not ashamed to say I think I'm pretty good. I'm sure I've made mistakes, but leaving them in a hot car simply isn't and never would be one of them.

At the end of the day, like I said before, I'm not morally opposed to putting the system in the cars...the technology is already in the vehicle anyway, so why not. But the concept of someone doing that is far beyond my grasp and far beyond what I'd say is just a bad mistake by a good parent.

 

[Snowflakey]

I agree with those that said something like this didn't remotely come close to happening to them with their children however I do know of a case close to home where it did. Father never brought child to daycare but had to this one morning. Mother moved the car seat and put the child in. Father came out and drove to work which was about a 40 minute drive. Child fell asleep. Father got out and went into work.

From what I learned this is an awful way to die. I am all for protecting those who can't protect themselves (being too young and/or a pet).

I think the lane sensor, or whatever they are called, that goes off if you are drifting too far over the middle line or a car is passing you is silly too but let me tell you this if that car that was drifting across the middle line was coming towards one of my beautiful daughters or any one of your family members I am all for this sensor.

I worked auto claims for 15 years and to tell you the truth I'm surprised I'm even able to drive with all I've seen

 

[cabanafrau]

A safe crib is different than forgetting that ones child is in the back seat. I just can't understand how someone could be so neglectful. And why does it seem so prevalent now.

Maybe it's more prevalent now because more and more people are being expected to work excessive hours and/or be on call for extended periods of time in order to keep their jobs?

 

[mnrose]

Where do we draw the line on passing laws so people don't harm themselves or others. How difficult is it to think and remember your child in the back seat. Or how to properly take medicine and so forth. What about the people who don't want to pay to remind a parent that not long ago their child was put in the back seat.

Because people are HUMAN and human's make mistakes, even terrible ones. I've never forgotten my child in the car, but I can see how it could happen. If it's a small dollar fix, why not do it? What is a child's life worth to you?

 

[cabanafrau]

For those flawed humans who will drive small children in cars that do not have the new sensors and want to take precautions that this could never happen to your precious little one, the advice given is to take off one of your shoes when you buckle up the child and place it on the floor area in front of the child. You won't go far without realizing you're missing your shoe.

 

[mjkacmom]

I guess it's a subject we'll have to "agree to disagree" on.

Call me elitist, call me someone who thinks they're a perfect parent, think of me what you will, but I can assure you that leaving my child in a hot car is something that never came remotely close to happening to me, and never in a million years would. It just wouldn't. You can also call me judgmental, I can live with that, but just IMO no matter how much a parent loves their child if they leave them in the back of a hot car and they die, you just won't get me to say "Oh, they were a good parent". Sorry, I won't. There's no excuse. None.

I'll be the first to say I'm not a "perfect" parent, though I'm not ashamed to say I think I'm pretty good. I'm sure I've made mistakes, but leaving them in a hot car simply isn't and never would be one of them.

At the end of the day, like I said before, I'm not morally opposed to putting the system in the cars...the technology is already in the vehicle anyway, so why not. But the concept of someone doing that is far beyond my grasp and far beyond what I'd say is just a bad mistake by a good parent.

This is pretty dangerous thinking, much better to realize your faults as a human and take extra precautions. Research has shown that there are many commonalities in these events, a perfect deadly storm of what went wrong. Have you read up on it at all? My kids are teens, and as a SAHM I never had a very strict routine with dropping off my kids. I have ended up at a soccer field instead of a baseball field, driving on autopilot on a weekend filled with eight or do games.

 

[design_mom]

For those flawed humans who will drive small children in cars that do not have the new sensors and want to take precautions that this could never happen to your precious little one, the advice given is to take off one of your shoes when you buckle up the child and place it on the floor area in front of the child. You won't go far without realizing you're missing your shoe.

That is a good idea.

I know I've told this story before on these types of threads: Although I never left my child in the car, one day I panicked that I might have. My husband usually took our son to daycare. One week, I had to do it because he had to travel for business (very rare for him). It was a busy time at my work, too, and I had my mind on a project going in. Everything was going fine till about 9:30 in the morning when suddenly my mind went "Did you drop him off?!?!" I honestly couldn't remember. I *thought* I remembered taking him in and chatting with the daycare teacher... or was I remembering from the day before?! I ended up going out to my car to double-check because I just couldn't remember for sure.

Thankfully, he wasn't in there. I had dropped him off. And my car was parked in a parking garage and it was spring, not summer. I think he would have been OK even if he'd been there, but still... Even though I *didn't* leave my baby in the car, I can see how it could happen. From that time on, I started putting my purse in the back seat either in or next to the car seat, whether the baby was in the car or not. That way, I couldn't leave without checking the car seat. (My son is 16 and driving on his own now! )

 

[Skippy918]

My theory is people are driving much larger cars with tinted windows and it's really hard to see in those windows from the outside. Babies are also rear facing and in the back seat which is safer, but you can't see your child through the rear view mirror unless you have another mirror on the back seat. I drove a small car without tinted windows and when I got out the entire backseat was visible.

 

[Skippy918]

My dh was the default drop off person but when he travelled I had to do the drop offs and I tended to be somewhat rushed in the morning because I had to be at work early. I remember having to really remind myself to go to the daycare first. I would mutter it in my head especially after reading the hot car stories. It's easy to go on autopilot and forget especially if it is not part of your normal routine.

 

[mickeyboat]

Law makers want to pass a law requiring car manufacturers to install a device to remind the driver, usually a parent that their child is in the back seat. How could someone forget their child is in the back seat and why should car manufactures be required to remind them. Well as we know people do forget. About as silly as having to tell people eye drops are not for oral use but for the eyes and other similar precautions. Sometimes you just have to wonder what in the world is going on with people.

I guess it's a subject we'll have to "agree to disagree" on.

Call me elitist, call me someone who thinks they're a perfect parent, think of me what you will, but I can assure you that leaving my child in a hot car is something that never came remotely close to happening to me, and never in a million years would. It just wouldn't. You can also call me judgmental, I can live with that, but just IMO no matter how much a parent loves their child if they leave them in the back of a hot car and they die, you just won't get me to say "Oh, they were a good parent". Sorry, I won't. There's no excuse. None.

I'll be the first to say I'm not a "perfect" parent, though I'm not ashamed to say I think I'm pretty good. I'm sure I've made mistakes, but leaving them in a hot car simply isn't and never would be one of them.

At the end of the day, like I said before, I'm not morally opposed to putting the system in the cars...the technology is already in the vehicle anyway, so why not. But the concept of someone doing that is far beyond my grasp and far beyond what I'd say is just a bad mistake by a good parent.

This type of thinking is a defense mechanism to lull yourself into a false sense of security that this would never happen to you. It is a dangerous way of thinking.

Please read the article linked by mjkacmom. It explains how this can happen to anyone, even good parents like you. It will open your eyes.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/25/health/hot-car-deaths-explained/index.html

 

[Pea-n-Me]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/25/health/hot-car-deaths-explained/index.html

Good article. Key point:

"most people refuse to take any precautionary measures because they believe this could never happen to them, a potentially fatal mistake."

 

[BrianL]

I'll be honest, I can see this as a great and useful feature in a car, but I don't think it should be required by law. It should be an available option for a new car that the customer can choose. I don't have any kids, so I wouldn't need the device, nor would I want to pay for its inclusion. I totally understand why such a device would be needed though and wouldn't judge any parents for feeling like they need it.

 

[gemini2727]

I guess it's a subject we'll have to "agree to disagree" on.

Call me elitist, call me someone who thinks they're a perfect parent, think of me what you will, but I can assure you that leaving my child in a hot car is something that never came remotely close to happening to me, and never in a million years would. It just wouldn't. You can also call me judgmental, I can live with that, but just IMO no matter how much a parent loves their child if they leave them in the back of a hot car and they die, you just won't get me to say "Oh, they were a good parent". Sorry, I won't. There's no excuse. None.

I'll be the first to say I'm not a "perfect" parent, though I'm not ashamed to say I think I'm pretty good. I'm sure I've made mistakes, but leaving them in a hot car simply isn't and never would be one of them.

At the end of the day, like I said before, I'm not morally opposed to putting the system in the cars...the technology is already in the vehicle anyway, so why not. But the concept of someone doing that is far beyond my grasp and far beyond what I'd say is just a bad mistake by a good parent.

Do you really think ANY parent thinks that they will be the one to cause such a horrific death to their child??

 

[gemini2727]

This type of thinking is a defense mechanism to lull yourself into a false sense of security that this would never happen to you. It is a dangerous way of thinking.

Please read the article linked by mjkacmom. It explains how this can happen to anyone, even good parents like you. It will open your eyes.

I'll bet money the article won't be read, though I hope it is - it "can't" happen to them, after all.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'll be honest, I can see this as a great and useful feature in a car, but I don't think it should be required by law. It should be an available option for a new car that the customer can choose. I don't have any kids, so I wouldn't need the device, nor would I want to pay for its inclusion. I totally understand why such a device would be needed though and wouldn't judge any parents for feeling like they need it.

I hear what you're saying, but I have all kinds of options on my 2016 model, many of which I don't use, either. One is driving me nuts it shuts the engine off when you come to a stop I have to figure out how to shut it off, lol. I would consider a feature like this just one of many features that come with a newer car, not all of which every person is going to use, but still useful to those who will use it - in the present or the future with that particular car.

 

[BrianL]

I hear what you're saying, but I have all kinds of options on my 2016 model, many of which I don't use, either. One is driving me nuts it shuts the engine off when you come to a stop I have to figure out how to shut it off, lol. I would consider a feature like this just one of many features that come with a newer car, not all of which every person is going to use, but still useful to those who will use it - in the present or the future with that particular car.

Well, as with most cars, it would be part of an option package meaning it would likely come on most cars that have other bells and whistles. I still don't think there should be a law requiring it any more than there should be one requiring power windows.