Children Die in Hot Cars Every Year
It’s a shocking statistic, but every year in America, an average of 38 children die from being left in hot cars. What kind of person, let alone a responsible parent, would leave their child in a hot car long enough to die? A Washington Post article looks at some of those people and the aftermath they have to live with. It turns out that these people come from all walks of life, from rocket scientist to police officer to postal clerk.
The reasons that this horrible phenomenon is growing are many, including practices that were initially adopted for a young child’s safety. In the early 90′;s, child safety experts spoke out against having a child’s baby seat in a vehicle’s passenger seat because a deploying airbag could be lethal to a small child. This was followed by child safety experts advising that it would be safer if a baby seat was mounted to face backward. Unfortunately, no one foresaw that these practices might lead to parents forgetting that their young children were in their backseat, trapped. Other factors contributing to this phenomenon are the exceedingly busy and distracted lives many of us lead. Gone are the days when a radio was the only distraction one had while driving. Nowadays, we have smart phones, GPS devices, and other distractions that allow us to multitask in our vehicles.
Another reason children are sometimes left in cars is due to a scheduling change. Many parents have a routine they follow each morning, such as one parent taking the baby to daycare while the other parent drops an older child off at school. Changing this routine up one day can cause a busy parent to forget they have a small child in the car.
Fortunately, there are now smart phone apps and car seats with sensors that can alert a parent that they’ve left a child in the car. General Motors has announced that its 2017 Acadia SUV will come with a sensor that can detect if anything is left on the backseat.
The hottest month of the year has arrived, so please remember not to leave small children or pets in your car for any amount of time, and always check your vehicle’s rear compartments for passengers before locking it. If you’ve lost a child, we are truly sorry. But, depending on the circumstances, you may have grounds for a Jacksonville wrongful death claim. To find out more about your legal rights and options, call the law offices of Farah & Farah at (800) 533-3555. Your initial consultation is free.
