For most parents, leaving a child in the back seat of a car seems impossible.
But year after year, it happens.
A 2019 study by the Hospital for Sick Children found that an average of one child in Canada dies each year after being stuck in a hot car. Usually it’s because the driver forgot to be there.
Just last week, tragedy struck the suburbs of Greater Montreal after a toddler was found dead in the back seat of a car on a hot day.
Experts say this situation can be avoided, especially with technology.
CTV News spoke with Denis Gingras, Director of the Intelligent Vehicle Laboratory (LIV) at Sherbrooke University. He shared the benefits of this life-saving technology.
Back seat alert system
While not yet standard in modern vehicles, Gingras said an integrated alert system is an effective way to encourage drivers to check the back seat before locking it.
Details vary, but the basic idea is: Open the back door and put the baby in the child seat. The alert system records this. You drive, you park. you get out of the car
An alarm sounds when the back door is closed. Get the baby out of the car.
But given the average lifespan of a car is 10 to 15 years, many households will not have access to this embedded technology for some time.
“The technology is there holistically. The problem is implementing it and making it available to more people,” Gingras said.
In the meantime, he recommends installing a commercial system.
“Perhaps in the short term we should consider an after-sales market where independent and tier companies can sell devices that can enhance vehicles if this type of technology is not already in place.”
A variety of these products have hit the market in recent years and can be found online.
car seat sensor
Another potentially lifesaving gadget is the car seat sensor.
This tool works by detecting if the child is buckling. An alert will be sent to the driver if the presence of a child is detected while the car is turned off.
The sensors are built into the car seat itself or can be purchased separately like some rear seat warning systems.
Child seat sensors are relatively new, meaning they are “more or less” reliable, but they are certainly better than nothing.
“Even if there are a few false alarms, even if there are a few undetected incidents, if at least we can save the majority of babies.”
He wants technology and availability to evolve with demand
It would be helpful if there was “one life”.
can happen to anyone
Studies have found that the so-called “forgotten baby syndrome” is especially common when parents are adjusting to new routines.
The situation is only exacerbated by stress and lack of sleep. This is a factor most parents with young children are familiar with.
In 2021, a Montreal father left his 6-month-old son in his car and was exhausted and overstressed, leading to his untimely death, according to a coroner’s report.
To make matters worse, the baby recently started a new daycare routine that his father was not yet accustomed to.
Changing the nature of stress and memory is difficult, but driving the implementation of new technologies is within our grasp, Gingras said.
“Legislators and government agencies should put more pressure on automakers and child car seat makers,” he said.
“[We need to] Get these technologies into your vehicles as soon as possible. ”
