For Immediate Release:
July 31, 2019
Contact:
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KidsAndCars.org Pushes for Technology to Stop Hot Car Tragedies on National Heatstroke Prevention Day
After 20 years of educating the public about hot cars, the number of children dying continues to rise
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July 31, 2019 - Today is
National Heatstroke Prevention Day
, a day focused on education and awareness regarding the dangers of hot cars. This year, KidsAndCars.org is emphasizing that there are technological solutions to put an end to the devastation seen every year of children and animals dying excruciating deaths in hot cars.
After 20 years of public education, the number of
children dying in hot cars
has gotten worse, not better. Last year was the worst year in history with a total of
52
children that died in hot cars nationwide. Additionally, KidsAndCars.org documented 62 pets that died in hot cars nationwide.
Education and public awareness are not enough.
Children will continue to die in hot cars until technological solutions that can sense the presence of a child are standard in all vehicles.
The Hot Cars Act
is a federal bill calling for systems that can detect the presence of a child in vehicles to prevent hot car injury and death. Technology called for in the bill is readily available. Automakers like
Kia
and
Hyundai
have systems that can detect the presence of a child in the back seat and alert the driver and bystanders if they are left behind or get into a vehicle and become trapped.
“The only thing more tragic than a child or animal dying in a hot car is knowing that there are solutions that exist that could prevent this. By not utilizing available technology to sense a child or pet alone inside a vehicle, we are shamefully allowing this to happen over and over again. The price is inaction is the life of children and that is unacceptable,” said Janette Fennell, president and founder of KidsAndCars.org.
Nobody believes that a hot car tragedy is going to happen to them or their family, until it does. Already this year,
24
children have died in hot cars, 3 of which happened since last Friday.
KidsAndCars.org and their safety partners will be sharing posts via social media throughout the day about how child vehicular heatstroke can be prevented with the use of technology. They are calling on the public and media outlets to join in to support this national effort.
KidsAndCars.org has prepared
posts, photos and graphics
that can be shared on
Facebook
,
Twitter
, blogs, newsletters and websites, etc. to help raise awareness about the importance of adding existing technology to vehicle to help end these predictable and preventable hot car fatalities.
Sample social media posts:
- An occupant detection system in cars could prevent hot car deaths. #PasstheHotCarsAct #heatstrokekills
- Technology exists to prevent hot car deaths… what are we waiting for? #PasstheHotCarsAct
- 2018 was the deadliest year in history for child hot car deaths. #PasstheHotCarsAct #heatstrokekills
- Cars can alert us of children in the back seat and save precious little lives. #PasstheHotCarsAct #heatstrokekills
- See a child or animal alone in a car? Get involved! Call 911 immediately. #heatstrokekills #lookbeforeyoulock
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KidsAndCars.org
is a national nonprofit
dedicated to saving the lives of young children and pets in and around vehicles. The organization is devoted to eliminating vehicle-related risks that were previously unrecognized through data collection, research and analysis, public education and awareness programs, policy change, product redesign and supporting families to channel their grief into positive change. These everyday incidents include being run over, hot car deaths, carbon monoxide poisoning, car theft with children/animals inside, falls, knocking cars into gear, drowning inside vehicle, underage drivers, power window strangulation, trunk entrapment, etc.
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