The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Blumenthal bill aims to prevent kids in hot cars
Legislation requires sensors to monitor risks for heatstroke
HARTFORD » Benjamin Seitz’s death still lingers heavily on U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s mind.
The 15-month-old Ridgefield child was accidentally left inside a car by his father on July 7, 2014. Temperatures soon sweltered. Before long, the child had succumbed to hyperthermia. Blumenthal, D-Conn., called the child’s death “unimaginable” Monday and noted it’s a reminder to parents that as summer’s hot temperatures approach, they should always “look before they lock.”
“Caregivers, grandparents, parents: Look before you lock,”
Blumenthal said. “Do not leave that child in a car, even for a quick trip to a convenience store or a stop at the cleaners.”
Monday’s high temperatures across the state further illustrated the increased potential for heatstroke during summer months.
“In just minutes, that child’s life may be in danger,” Blumenthal said.
The remarks Monday coincided with Blumenthal introducing a bill in Congress addressing heatstroke fatalities that would require cars to include sensor devices alerting motorists about a child left inside a vehicle. Blumenthal made additional remarks about the bill during a press conference Monday at noon at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford. The event offered several summer safety tips for driving, fireworks safety, water safety and even lawn mower and grill safety.
The bill is called the Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in the Rear Seat Act (HOT CARS Act). The bill would require vehicles to come equipped with technology alerting drivers of children left in back seats after a car is turned off. The bill would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require that cars come equipped with such technology, according to a release from Blumenthal’s office. It seeks to have NHTSA study and report best practices to outfit existing cars with aftermarket technology.
“It will become as commonplace as airbags and seat belts are,” Blumenthal said. “We all need friendly reminders.”
The children’s safety advocacy group KidsandCars. org documents cases involving children left behind in cars in extreme temperatures. According to the data, 810 children have died from heatstroke deaths since 1994, including 39 last year. Blumenthal said about 37 children die annually after being trapped in overheated cars.
Blumenthal’s release said some vehicles already come equipped with sensors to detect children in the backseat. Aftermarket devices exist, but the release said they’re not widely implemented.
Children and babies are unable to regulate body temperatures well, which can lead to their core temperature rising up to five times faster than adults, according to the release. This rapid increase means children can reach dangerously high temperatures in the matter of minutes during a hot day.
“Safety is voluntary, but saving lives is all of our business,” Blumenthal said.
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Ann Taylor on Monday said the center’s emergency department saw more than 56,000 children and their families last year. Taylor said the medical center houses the Injury Prevention Center, which studies how children are injured and how to prevent further injury.
Injury Prevention Center Associate Director Kevin Borrup said 17 children nationwide this year have died in hot cars. He suggested motorists always look in the backseat before locking their vehicles.
“If you have to, every time you get in the car, leave your cellphone in back (seat),” Borrup said. “You shouldn’t be using it anyway. Leave your lunch, leave your shoes, leave something back there so that you’ll never forget your kid in the back of the car.”
Connecticut State Police spokeswoman Trooper First Class Kelly Grant said hot days like Monday are a reminder that ensuring children’s safety is crucial. Grant provided some common-sense driving tips, including ensuring everyone wears a seat belt, providing appropriate seating for children, and ditching cellphones while driving.
AAA Northeast Connecticut spokeswoman Fran Mayko said Monday that Blumenthal’s bill is an interesting proposal, but more research should be done before mandating all cars have such technology. Mayko said childhood heatstroke car deaths aren’t necessarily common, but they’re tragic situations.
“I think it’s up to the parents to assume their responsibility,” Mayko said. “Technology is beneficial, but it shouldn’t take the place of parental responsibility.”
New Haven police spokesman Officer David Hartman said Monday its understandable for a person who sees a child in distress or danger inside a car to break a car window to provide assistance.
“There’s not a cop in New Haven that would charge someone for doing that,” Hartman said.
Exigent circumstances would allow a citizen to provide additional help during emergencies to ensure a person’s safety, Hartman said. He added that it’s important to immediately notify authorities if a child is spotted inside a car, especially during high temperatures.
“You don’t get arrested for breaking a window to save the life of someone in a hot car,” Hartman said.