SAMPLE LETTER:
Email Subject Line: Your leadership is needed to prevent hot car deaths
Dear Senator ________,
I am writing to you about a tragic, yet solvable, problem which we need your leadership to resolve. Over 1,000 children have died in hot cars since 1990, including children right here in our state. The years 2018 and 2019 were the worst in history for children dying in hot cars with over 100 little lives lost. Additionally, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) estimates that hundreds of pets die from heat exposure in closed vehicles every year.
This problem will continue until existing technology to detect and alert of a child or pet’s presence inside a parked vehicle is standard in all vehicles – because no one thinks this could happen to them.
On July 1, the Hot Cars Act of 2021 (H.R. 3164) was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the INVEST in America Act (H.R. 3684). This commonsense legislation requires the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue a final rule for technology to be included as standard equipment in all vehicles that can detect the presence of an occupant and warn the driver and bystanders. It sets a reasonable deadline for agency action.
Language has been introduced in the Senate Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act. Upgrades are needed to the amendment language, Blumenthal 1 (modified), to require the technology to detect the presence of an occupant in the passenger compartment to ensure that children who access a vehicle on their own, as well as children who are left in a vehicle, are saved (as is accomplished in Section 10101 of the INVEST in America Act, H.R. 3684). I am writing to request your support on this important improvement.
We need detection technology for the following reasons;
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Reminder alerts alone that sound every time drivers exit vehicles, whether the back seat is occupied or vacant, eventually become too familiar, provide many false alarms and can easily be tuned out.
- A reminder alert can be disengaged by the driver.
- A reminder alert alone would not protect children who gain access to vehicles on their own and become trapped (26% of all child hot car deaths).
- A reminder alert alone would not deter people from intentionally leaving children or pets in vehicles (14% of child hot car fatalities).
There are systems available that could detect occupants as well as replace other sensing systems, which could actually save automakers money. These systems are readily available and cost efficient.
After 25 years of educating the public and with awareness at an all-time high, the number of children dying in hot cars continues to rise. Technology is critical to prevention. Please support detection and alert technology in all new vehicles to prevent children and animals from being needlessly killed and injured in hot cars.
Thank you for your consideration. With your leadership and support these needless and tragic deaths can be curtailed.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Address
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