Subjects of the film are Carol and Miles Harrison, whose Russian-adopted son, Chase, died when inadvertently left in a hot car in July, 2008. The Russian adoption ban (Dima Yakovlev Act) was named after their son’s Russian name. The film dives into the misunderstood phenomenon that we hear about every summer as an average of 37 American children die in hot cars every year.
Parents must understand if a tragedy like this could happen to the Harrison family, it could happen to anyone. The Harrisons were doting, responsible and highly educated parents who traveled half way across the world so that they could raise someone else’s child as their own.
The distraught parents along with Janette Fennell, founder and president of KidsAndCars.org, have helped introduce into Congress the HOT CARS Act. This proposed legislation would mandate the installation of technology in all vehicles to eliminate preventable hot car tragedies.
Already this year 7 American children have died in hot cars (and possibly another 4 pending the results of autopsies). KidsAndCars.org has been working to raise awareness and prevent hot car deaths for over 20 years.
“Education and awareness are important, but they simply are not enough to prevent these unthinkable incidents because nobody believes that this could happen to them,” says Fennell. “Technology that can sense the presence of a child already exists, is cost efficient and will be the solution to ending these predictable and preventable tragedies. What are we waiting for?”
At a press event conducted on Capitol Hill, Miles Harrison said, “If there had been a simple reminder alert in my vehicle, Chase would still be alive today.”
