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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.
Car Door Child Safety Locks
The car door child safety locks are designed to prevent children from opening rear doors from inside the vehicle to prevent injury, but they can have unintended risks when turned on (more on this below). All vehicles are different, so refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual to determine how to turn on or off your child door locks. In many cars, there is a lever or slot to use a key to engage the lock feature, which can be found on the side of the door (the area of the door you cannot see when the door is closed).
What to do if you see a child or pet alone in a vehicle
Every year on average, 38 children die in hot cars. Kids and Car Safety is calling on the public to be prepared to take action to save a life.If you see a child alone in a car; get involved. Protecting children is everyone’s business.
Here’s What You Should Do...
Car seat, booster & seat belt use
Since parents like you care, it is stunning that more than 90% arrive at professional car seat checks needing adjustments to their child’s car seat. Your local Safe Kids, fire department or law enforcement can help you find a Child Passenger Safety Technician to help you. Set aside time to read the entire car seat instruction manual and car seat installation section of your vehicle manual.
