PETA joins KidsAndCars.org to Urge Congress to Pass the HOT CARS Act to Save Children and Pets from Perishing in Hot Cars
With Summer Coming to an End, Families’ Routines Will Change Leaving Child and Pet Care-Givers Susceptible to Inadvertent Memory Lapses - A Technological Solution Would Prevent Needless Tragedies
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With the busy travel weekend of Labor Day upon us and the beginning of school and new routines starting, KidsAndCars.org welcomes the new support of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for the Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act (HOT CARS Act of 2017,
H.R. 2801
/
S. 1666
).
The bipartisan HOT CARS Act requires the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue a final rule requiring new cars to be equipped with a system to alert drivers who might unknowingly leave children or pets in the car. This type of technology is already available today.
“PETA is as passionate about protecting animals as we are about protecting children. By joining forces, we can make sure 2018 is the year Congress puts a stop to these needless deaths,” said Janette Fennell, president and founder of KidsAndCars.org.
PETA will mobilize its network of millions of animal rights supporters through an action alert (going live at Noon today) asking activists to urge Congress to pass the HOT CARS Act, so that not another year of deaths goes by without this simple, life-saving solution.
“This summer alone, at least 36 children and 44 dogs have died in hot car infernos, and the deadly trend is showing no signs of abating," says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. "PETA is helping KidsAndCars.org champion this important bill in the hope that it will result in concrete measures being taken to counteract these tragic, painful, and wholly preventable deaths,” said Ingrid Newkirk, president and cofounder of PETA.
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Every year, children, people with disabilities, and animals perish from heatstroke inside motor vehicles. Much like children, whose body temperature rises 3-5 times faster than adults, dogs lack the ability to effectively regulate their body temperatures, making them extremely vulnerable to heatstroke. This is especially the case in cars, where the greenhouse effect can cause the interior temperature to quickly rise to deadly levels within minutes. It becomes a recipe for disaster when a child or animal is trapped inside a hot vehicle.
The bill is sponsored by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in the Senate and Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Peter King (R-NY) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) in the House.
Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) commented, “I introduced this bill to prevent hot car tragedies that claim the lives of dozens of American children each year, but requiring simple sensor technology would save the lives of pets as well. My bill would ensure this technology is standard in every car sold in the United States—a commonsense, basic step to prevent catastrophe. It can take mere minutes on a hot day for a car to turn into a deathtrap for a child or pet, and I am grateful to PETA for their efforts to raise awareness and build support for this lifesaving legislation.”
Congressman Ryan (D-OH) said, “I want to thank PETA for their support of this important legislation. No child or pet should endure the tragedy of dying while trapped in a hot vehicle. Our cars can already alert drivers when they leave their keys in the car, their lights on, or their trunk open – none of which are life-threatening. It is not unusual for the government to mandate safety features to protect lives. Cars are mandated to have seat belts, interior trunk-releases, and rear backup cameras. Our legislation would move us one step closer to getting this inexpensive technology in every car on the road to help save the lives of children and animals nationwide.”
Congresswoman Schakowsky (D-IL) stated, “As this blisteringly hot summer continues, it is more important now than ever to address the growing epidemic of hot cars, which has already claimed 36 lives this year. The threat of locked cars and high temperatures threatens not only babies and young children, but also our beloved pets. As a proud dog owner and an active member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, I am very pleased to welcome PETA and their members to the fight to end hot car deaths. I am eager to work with them as well as KidsAndCars.org to make these preventable tragedies a thing of the past.”
Over 870 children have died in hot cars in the U.S. since 1990 according to KidsAndCars.org.
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About KidsAndCars.org:
Founded in 1996, KidsAndCars.org is the only national nonprofit child safety organization dedicated solely to preventing injuries and deaths of children in and around vehicles. KidsAndCars.org promotes awareness among parents, caregivers and the general public about the dangers to children, including backover and frontover incidents, underage driving and vehicular heatstroke. The organization works to prevent tragedies through data collection, education and public awareness, policy change and survivor advocacy.
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