@trigger: Another baby in a hot car

[weardogbride]

I'm a lurker on this board but I recently had an experience that totally opened my eyes about this. I have a 4 year old and a two month old. We were coming home from DH's office and my 4 yo rode home with DH. I had the baby. I got home, and took some trash out of the car to the trash can (five feet from the car). I then went inside - went to the restroom, changed clothes, just my normal routine. DH and DS1 got home about ten or 15 min later as they had gone through a drive through and I remembered I needed to take the baby out of his carseat. Except the car seat was still in the car. Scariest 20 sec of my life running outside. I am in Texas and it is July. Luckily my baby was fine, still sleeping in our shaded car port but he was hot and sweaty. I bawled when I got him in. I completely forgot to get him out, and I still can't believe I did that. Anyway, I was always one of those that thought "good parents can't forget their babies" but it happened to me!

[weardogbride]

Jul 25, 2014 23:30:22 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

Jul 25, 2014 23:19:39 GMT -5 weardogbride said:

I'm a lurker on this board but I recently had an experience that totally opened my eyes about this. I have a 4 year old and a two month old. We were coming home from DH's office and my 4 yo rode home with DH. I had the baby. I got home, and took some trash out of the car to the trash can (five feet from the car). I then went inside - went to the restroom, changed clothes, just my normal routine. DH and DS1 got home about ten or 15 min later as they had gone through a drive through and I remembered I needed to take the baby out of his carseat. Except the car seat was still in the car. Scariest 20 sec of my life running outside. I am in Texas and it is July. Luckily my baby was fine, still sleeping in our shaded car port but he was hot and sweaty. I bawled when I got him in. I completely forgot to get him out, and I still can't believe I did that. Anyway, I was always one of those that thought "good parents can't forget their babies" but it happened to me!

www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/fatal-distraction-forgetting-a-child-in-thebackseat-of-a-car-is-a-horrifying-mistake-is-it-a-crime/2014/06/16/8ae0fe3a-f580-11e3-a3a5-42be35962a52_story.html

Yes I have actually read this before. It is just horrifying that you can just completely forget. I experienced it first hand. Thank God DH and DS came home when they did, I'm not sure how long it would have taken me to remember. So so scary and I do believe since it happened to me, it can happen to anyone.

[phunluvin82]

I think I posted about this already in a different one of these threads...but my mom forgot me in my carseat in the garage when I was little. Thankfully it wasn't summer and wasn't hot. This was in NJ. I forget how long she said it was before she remembered, but over an hour. In her mind I was in my crib napping. She didn't realize I wasn't until she went to look in on me.

These stories are so so sad. I can't imagine with all the technology we have today that I wouldn't be possible to make a device that would alert people somehow that the baby is still in the car.

[ttt]

Jul 25, 2014 23:59:46 GMT -5 phunluvin82 said:

I think I posted about this already in a different one of these threads...but my mom forgot me in my carseat in the garage when I was little. Thankfully it wasn't summer and wasn't hot. This was in NJ. I forget how long she said it was before she remembered, but over an hour. In her mind I was in my crib napping. She didn't realize I wasn't until she went to look in on me.

These stories are so so sad. I can't imagine with all the technology we have today that I wouldn't be possible to make a device that would alert people somehow that the baby is still in the car.

It is possible and indeed it already exists. But car makers don't want to put them in cars.

[sugarglider]

I like this invention:
www.wkrn.com/story/22872890/local-boy-invents-device-to-stop-children-being-left-in-hot-cars

[cinnamoncox]

Jul 26, 2014 12:52:14 GMT -5 incogneato said:

How devastating. The WashPost article is still the most upsetting thing I've ever read. Just seeing the link makes me catch my breath. Poor sweet baby.

I know, me too. I tell everyone to read it because I feel like it's vital that people understand this , but I always warn them that it'll haunt them after they've read it.
I get a pit in my stomach when I see the link or even think about it

Poor darling girl.

[phunluvin82]

Jul 26, 2014 8:04:45 GMT -5 ttt said:

Jul 25, 2014 23:59:46 GMT -5 phunluvin82 said:

I think I posted about this already in a different one of these threads...but my mom forgot me in my carseat in the garage when I was little. Thankfully it wasn't summer and wasn't hot. This was in NJ. I forget how long she said it was before she remembered, but over an hour. In her mind I was in my crib napping. She didn't realize I wasn't until she went to look in on me.

These stories are so so sad. I can't imagine with all the technology we have today that I wouldn't be possible to make a device that would alert people somehow that the baby is still in the car.

It is possible and indeed it already exists. But car makers don't want to put them in cars.

Do we need the car makers to put them in though?  I mean, there's an app for everything these days.  Is it just that no one wants to touch the potential liability issue?  

[lime]

Jul 26, 2014 15:08:35 GMT -5 phunluvin82 said:

Jul 26, 2014 8:04:45 GMT -5 ttt said:

It is possible and indeed it already exists. But car makers don't want to put them in cars.

Do we need the car makers to put them in though?  I mean, there's an app for everything these days.  Is it just that no one wants to touch the potential liability issue?  

Correct; no one wants to touch the liability issue. 

I previous worked for one of the Big Three in Detroit as an automotive engineer and I was shocked at how many technologically and financially feasible things were simple not sold due to liability issues. 

[ttt]

Jul 26, 2014 15:08:35 GMT -5 phunluvin82 said:

Jul 26, 2014 8:04:45 GMT -5 ttt said:

It is possible and indeed it already exists. But car makers don't want to put them in cars.

Do we need the car makers to put them in though?  I mean, there's an app for everything these days.  Is it just that no one wants to touch the potential liability issue?  

The thing is, unless they're automatically in every car, they're kind of useless. This is the kind of thing that nobody ever thinks they will need, so very few people are going to buy a device or app (and the kind of people who do are probably hyper-aware of this issue and thus less likely to even need it). 

[Deleted]

They already make sensors that tell you if the air bag is engaged on the passenger side judging by the weight of that seat. So it would be relatively easy to do something similar in a backseat.

Hell, even just having a mirror that would allow you to more easily see the backseat installed standard in vehicles would be an improvement. You wouldn't even have to bill it as a "don't forget your baby" safety feature. The same thing could be done for cars that have backup cameras. When you pull the car into park, it flicks on the backseat camera, just as when you pull into reverse, it flicks on the rear camera.

[phunluvin82]

Jul 26, 2014 15:23:14 GMT -5 lime said:

Jul 26, 2014 15:08:35 GMT -5 phunluvin82 said:

Do we need the car makers to put them in though?  I mean, there's an app for everything these days.  Is it just that no one wants to touch the potential liability issue?  

Correct; no one wants to touch the liability issue. 

I previous worked for one of the Big Three in Detroit as an automotive engineer and I was shocked at how many technologically and financially feasible things were simple not sold due to liability issues. 

But if we take the car makers out of the equation entirely, I guess I just don't understand how some sort of individually sold product that had a sensor or reminder of some sort or whatever would be any different than any other baby safety product out there?  Baby gates, cabinet locks, baby monitors, bed rails, etc...companies make and sell all these things, despite potential liability issues, and presumably make a profit right?  

[phunluvin82]

Jul 26, 2014 17:20:18 GMT -5 ttt said:

Jul 26, 2014 15:08:35 GMT -5 phunluvin82 said:

Do we need the car makers to put them in though?  I mean, there's an app for everything these days.  Is it just that no one wants to touch the potential liability issue?  

The thing is, unless they're automatically in every car, they're kind of useless. This is the kind of thing that nobody ever thinks they will need, so very few people are going to buy a device or app (and the kind of people who do are probably hyper-aware of this issue and thus less likely to even need it). 

That is a good point.  I feel like there is beginning to be a lot more awareness on this issue, but maybe that's basically from hanging out on this board, lol.

Still, I know a lot of parents that are so neurotic that they bought basically every safety item available on the market...my friends like this may be a relatively small subset of people though.

[curbsideprophet]

There are products out there for this issue. Child Minder is one www.babyalert.info/

There will always be people who will not buy a product like this. If you want everyone to have some type of sensor/alert/etc I think it would need to be required in all vehicles.