Recently, there have been so many incidents where parents or caregivers are forgetting their child in the car. This mistake so often leads to pediatric vehicular heatstroke (PVH). This results in heartbreaking stories and tragic endings. Car manufacturers are taking the statistics and doing something about it.
In 2016, General Motors (GM) released their rear seat reminder for various vehicles. This reminder is activated when you open your rear door 10 minutes before or any time when the vehicle is on. When the vehicle is turned off, the vehicle will alert the driver with five distinct chimes. A message also displays on the dashboard to remind the driver to check their back seat.
In 2017, Nissan released their rear door alert system. This reminder honks at the driver who has opened their rear door before driving and then leaves the car without opening the rear door again.
Hyundai also released their rear occupant alert for their 2019 vehicles, but it’s a little different than the two previously mentioned. This system uses sensors to detect movement in the back seat. If movement is detected, a message will display on the driver’s screen to check the rear seats. If the driver leaves the vehicle, the horn will honk, lights will flash, and a notification will be sent to the driver’s phone via Bluetooth.
These technological advances will hopefully help lessen the statistics surrounding pediatric vehicular heatstroke. If you have children, if could be beneficial to have a rear seat reminder installed in your vehicle, or look for the cars that have them built in the next time you are car shopping.
If you are looking for other effective rear seat reminders, read here.