Effective Hot Car Technology Needed ASAP

After more than 1,000 deaths and 15 years of advocating for a federal safety standard to protect children and prevent hot car deaths, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which includes a mandate for action by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) aimed at preventing hot car tragedies.
Kids and Car Safety applauds Congress for enacting a provision aimed at addressing this deadly but preventable problem and urges DOT to guarantee optimal protection by requiring occupant detection and alert systems when they issue their final rule without delay.
Without occupant detection in all vehicles, children will continue to die in hot cars. In the document below, learn more about the current state of affairs as well as the reasons occupant detection is critical for prevention.

Occupant Detection vs. Hot Cars provision passed in Infrastructure bill

Charts, Statistics, Graphics

Below are Kids and Car Safety’s charts and graphs which can be downloaded for free and are excellent education materials. We encourage you to share, print, copy, distribute, or enlarge them; but we ask that no changes be made. Please note, the PDF files are large and may take some time to open in your browser.

Hot Car Fatalities by Circumstance

Airbag vs. Hot Car Fatalities

English [PDF]

Spanish [PDF]


Hot Car Fatalities by State Map

Child Hot Car Fatalities by Year 

English [PDF]

Spanish [PDF]

 

 

 

 

Heatstroke Fact Sheet

English [PDF] 

Spanish [PDF]

Mandarin Chinese [PDF]

Arabic [PDF]

‘Look Before You Lock’ education cards 

English [PDF]

Spanish [PDF]

Chinese [PDF]

 

MUST SEE REPORTS:  

Fate of Campaign to Save Kids Trapped in Hot Cars Now in Congress’ Hands, The City – 8/18/21

Fatal Distraction Pulitzer Prize winning article by Gene Weingarten, The Washington Post – 3/8/09

Hot car deaths: Study describes psychological and neural basis of how people make fatal errors – 3/5/19

How We Can Protect Children From Dying in Hot Cars Editorial published on Time.com – 7/29/16

An epidemic of children dying in hot cars: a tragedy that can be prevented (Dr. David Diamond) – 6/20/16

 

PRESS RELEASES:

2022

4 Children Die in Hot Cars in 1 Week – 8/17/22

Hot car death murder conviction overturned by Georgia Supreme Court – 6/23/22

Kids and Car Safety Cautions Families as Temperatures Soar & Hot Car Deaths Continue – 6/22/22

Texas Father Recounts Horrific Mistake in New Book 7 Years Later – 6/9/22

Hot Car Technology Needed ASAP – 4/28/22

Father Serving Life Sentence Appeals in Georgia Supreme Court Next Week – 1/14/2022

2021

As children die, Senate celebrates “bipartisan victory”? – 8/10/2021

Safety, Consumer, and Public Health Groups, Transportation Officials, and Truck Crash, Hot Car Incident, Distracted Driving, Red Light Running and Seatback Failure Victims Respond to U.S. Senate’s Bipartisan Transportation/ Infrastructure Bill – 8/1/2021

Media Advisory: TODAY at 10am ET Members of Congress & Families Call on Senate to Ensure Safety in Transportation Bill – 7/20/2021

Kids and Car Safety Applauds Passage of the INVEST in America Act – 7/1/2021

Media Advisory: Schakowsky, Colleagues, Advocates Highlight INVEST In America Act – 6/29/21

#HotCarsKill – Kids and Car Safety partnering with PETA to save lives – 6/8/21

The Hot Cars Act Reintroduced Today – 5/12/2021

MEDIA ADVISORY: The Hot Cars Act Press Conference – 5/11/2021

First Hot Car Death of 2021 – 4/29/2021

FCC grants waiver for technology to prevent hot car deaths – 3/15/2021

FCC Press Release: FCC PERMITS HOT-CAR SENSORS TO SAVE CHILDREN – 3/14/2021

2020

Pandemic’s Impact on Hot Car Deaths an Ongoing Concern – 8/19/2020

Technology Solutions to End Hot Car Deaths – 7/28/2020

Pandemic Increases Risk of Children Dying in Hot Cars – 7/22/2020

Statement of Janette Fennell, President of KidsAndCars.org on the Passage of the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2) – 7/2/2020

Technology to Stop Hot Car Tragedies Readily Available – 7/1/20

Press Teleconference: The Motor Vehicle Safety Title to the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2) announced on June 22, 2020 by the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce

2019

Worst October in History for Child Hot Car Tragedies – 10/16/2019

8 Hot Car Tragedies in the last 15 Days… ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! – 10/2/2019

Letter sent to Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) from KidsAndCars.org regarding unenforceable voluntary agreement – 9/5/2019

Auto Association’s voluntary agreement falls short, children’s lives on the line – 9/4/2019

Representative Pallone to Call for Lifesaving Automotive Updates to Prevent Children from Dying from Heatstroke – 8/28/2019

10 Child Hot Car Deaths in 20 Days – 8/19/2019

Grieving Families Challenge GM to Fulfill Its Promise to Prevent Hot Car Deaths – 8/13/2019

KidsAndCars.org Pushes for Technology to Stop Hot Car Tragedies on National Heatstroke Prevention Day – 7/31/19

Consumer Reports Urges Congress to Pass the ‘Hot Cars Act of 2019’ – (Consumer Reports Press Release – 7/22/19)

Already 17 Children Have Died in Hot Cars in 2019 – 7/2/19

Hot Cars Act of 2019 Introduced in U.S. House – 7/1/19

Infant dies in van during a DC press event on hot car deaths – 5/23/19

KidsAndCars.org Congressional Testimony (view video here) – 5/23/19

Hot Cars News Conference (5/22) (view video here) – 5/21/19

 

Related Documents:

Statement from Victims’ Families Read by Senator Blumenthal During July 10th, 2019 Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee During Consideration of the HOT CARS Act of 2019

Hot Car Deaths June – September: