Nissan rolls out kid-in-back-seat alert across its four-door lineup

And just like that, Nissan goes to the front of the line.

Children dying in rear seats of hot cars is more than a tragic headline. It’s a problem, and one that has finally seen some manufacturers step up and offer solutions.

GM was first out of the gate with a rear seat reminder (triggered by the rear doors being used) on the 2017 Acadia. Hyundai followed with sensors that detect movement, beginning with the 2019 model year in some vehicles and trim levels.

Nissan is winning this important battle, however, with its most recent innovation: the Rear Door Alert (RDA). Developed by two engineers who also happen to be moms, if the rear doors have been used before a trip, a driver automatically gets two warnings after the engine is shut off: a visual reminder on the dashboard, and, more importantly, a series of subtle honks from the horn.

What’s the standout for the Nissan approach? For the 2019 model year, it will come standard on Nissan’s Pathfinder, Altima, Rogue, Sentra and five other nameplates, and it’s going to be standard on all of Nissan’s four-door models by 2022.

This is a huge piece of the equation that has been missing, even from manufacturers who take this seriously. Nobody wants to select an option on their car that makes them effectively admit they might do something as horrific as forget their child. In fact, most people do not believe they are capable of such an act.

By making this technology standard, Nissan is removing the question and simply delivering the answer.

Every manufacturer needs to follow suit.

— NISSAN Nissan’s Rear Door Alert is the industry’s first system that uses the horn, in addition to door sensors and a message display on the centre instrument panel to remind drivers to check the back seat after the vehicle is parked.