Lack Of Direction? NHTSA Requiring Back Up Cameras To Prevent Child Deaths - But Ignores Those Left In Hot Cars?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has no plans to require automakers to add in-vehicle technology that would alert parents who leave young children behind in hot cars.

NHTSA held an event outside Washington to highlight the risks to children of being left behind in cars — even as the number of reported deaths this year has fallen sharply — 11 — compared with 31 for all of 2014. NHTSA and other advocates think increased public awareness and several high-profile passersby alerting law enforcement may help explain the reduction.

NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind says it is important that parents and caregivers always make sure to check for their children. NHTSA recommends leaving something in the back seat like a wallet, briefcase or cellphone to ensure that parents check the back seat — or to leave a teddy bear in the front seat to remind them of the child in the backseat. “There’s no reason we can’t have technology backstops,” Rosekind told reporters after the event that featured a father who left his young daughter in a hot car who died of hyperthermia.

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222max - 7/31/2015 12:11:06 PM

0 Boost

Dammit, you shouldn't need technology to prevent adult negligence.

Agent009 - 7/31/2015 12:43:47 PM

-2 Boost

Agreed, but in the age of lack of responsibility it is increasing being required.

MDarringer - 7/31/2015 1:41:53 PM

-3 Boost

Given how many morons text and drive it does not surprise me that people lack responsibility. I for one have no idea how a person can forget their child in a car.

TomM - 8/1/2015 1:52:00 PM

+1 Boost

Far and away the biggest problem with cars - is people driving them at ungodly speeds on public roads - ending often in the death of not only the driver - but also pedestrians get killed or maimed as well. The technology has existed for a while that would prevent a vehicle from exceeding the posted speed limit - and that would save far more lives than a person detector (Which we already have in the car for the seat belts anyway). WE are talking about 12,000 deaths or so where speed was an issue every year. Why should a pedestrian walking down a city street have to depend on the "responsibility" of a driver to prevent being CRUSHED against the window of a Department store - resulting in joint replacement and body reconstruction along the whole side of ones' body? - Especially when we could prevent the speeding altogether. But then - saving 12,000 people a year is clearly NOT a priority of NHTSA - when they might be able to save a dozens kids being accidentally locked in a car when it was hot enought to be of danger. Just as in the GM lock problems (GM was not alone in having locks recalled) - it is clear that the people reporting about this would go nuts if their car was speed restrcted - to saving LIVES is not an option for that.