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Hot Cars - Latest News
How do some parents leave their children behind in hot cars? It’s in the brain.
It’s a news story that conjures horror and disbelief: a child left behind in a hot car, sometimes with fatal consequences. How could any parent, any caregiver, commit such a grievous oversight? How could someone forget a child?
The answer is in the complex ways that the human brain works, according to a new study.
And its author – psychology professor David Diamond, who has studied the phenomenon for more than a decade and testified in court as an expert witness – is calling for manufacturer safeguards to avert other tragedies.
Hot car deaths: Study describes psychological and neural basis of how people make fatal errors
More than 50 children died in hot cars in 2018, making it the deadliest year on record. Many of the cases involve parents who unknowingly left a child behind, often for an entire day. University of South Florida Psychology Professor David Diamond has studied this phenomenon for over a decade and has served as an expert witness on many high-profile cases. In his latest publication, he describes the psychological and neural basis of how responsible people make such fatal errors.
Dangers of Hot Cars
Hot car tragedies are largely misunderstood by the general public. Most parents are misinformed and believe that they could never lose awareness of their child in the back seat. The reality is that this happens to the most loving, caring and protective parents. It has happened to a teacher, dentist, social worker, police officer, nurse, clergyman, soldier, and even a rocket scientist. It can happen to anyone…
Despite Prevention Efforts, Hot-Car Casualties Are Rising
Last year 51 children died of vehicular heatstroke in the U.S., an unsettling record that comes as efforts to prevent hot-car deaths have escalated. The latest tally was reached last month when the cause of death for two girls in Clay County, Mo., in July was confirmed to be vehicular heatstroke. Last year’s total surpassed the previous record of 49 deaths set in 2010, according to KidsAndCars.org, a child-safety advocacy group. Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash vehicular deaths for children younger than 15, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Lorraine Complains: Kids are still being left behind in cars and it needs to stop
It may be tempting to let her sleep, but leaving a child in the car is a risky proposition. In May of last year, Shaun Pennell drove to work and parked his car. His day was normal until 5:15, when his life blew apart forever. He had forgotten to drop off Wyatt, his three-year-old son, at daycare on his way to work. The child died of hyperthermia.
