It’s Getting Hot out so Please, Check Your Backseat.
Children are too precious to lose to a moment of forgetfulness
The statistics
“Eight hundred children have died in hot cars since records began in 1998.’ On average this mean that 38 will die from heatstroke by the end of each Summer. On a 70 degree day, it takes only 15 minutes for a car to reach a temp of 96 degrees.
The deadliest years so far were 2018' and 19’ and July is the peak month,” per NOHEATSTROKE.ORG. And they go on to say, “aside from dying in crashes, heatstroke is the leading cause of death in children younger than fourteen.” Some experts have said this number has continued to increase yearly ever since children have been required to be restrained in the backseat due to safety issues in front end collisions.
Isn’t it ironic that for safety purposes children are relegated to a place where they are out of sight and mind and easily forgotten until they die.
Now here are two real life tragedies that have been in the news so you can think about these for yourself. Personally, I find these suspicious.
A Columbus Dispatch headline from 07'… ‘Ohio mom left child in hot car leaves school job.’ Tell me how does an assistant principle forget her two year old daughter in the back of her car, yet she remembered to take the donuts she’d stopped and bought to take to school?
Her claim was she thought she had already dropped off her daughter at the babysitter…Really? Part of the reason she left her job afterwards was due to public outcry over this tragedy.
Why did it take a public outcry because if I were her I would have willingly resigned from my job…Can you imagine forgetting your two year old daughter, but you remembered donuts? Hey, I don’t know about you, but I would have wanted to kill myself.
ABC NEWS (Sept 10th, 21') HEADLINE: ‘One year old girl dies after being left in a hot car all day in Texas.’ In Houston a mom took her three children ages 5, 3 and 1 to daycare where she dropped off the five year old and three year old. She then returned home and went about her day until 6 PM which is when she decided to take a different car before she left to pick up her kids at Daycare. That’s when the daycare staff told her she’d dropped off only two kids. She returned home and found her one year old daughter dead and officers were called.”
Am I the only one that finds this suspicious? I mean she wasn’t even headed to work! She dropped her kids off so she could spend the day at home alone. She went HOME after she dropped off 2 of her kids and then she spent eight hours doing whatever and she didn’t think about her kids at all that day? Then the fact that she took a different vehicle when she went to get them?…What a convenient coincidence that set off my warning bells.
The news went on to report that soon after her child’s death she became embroiled in a heated battle with the school where she worked for the money she would lose if she resigned. Seriously, how could she even think about that? The farthest thing from my mind would’ve been a loss of MONEY. That, more than anything else makes me suspicious of her.
I think we all know that these tragedies are often accepted by law enforcement as mere accidents. But, what convinces me the parent is truly innocent is when I hear that the parent is so distraught afterwards that the jail has to put them on suicide watch. That I find it relatable, and it convinces me more of their innocence.
When I hear or read that they use the excuse of forgetfulness or they go on about how frazzled, worried and preoccupied they’ve been; all of that sets off warning bells that what they’re saying is BS.
Sorry, but excuses are a dime a dozen and all of them pale in the face of reality because…this was their child. This was a member of their family… This was their legacy… This was a grandchild… A sibling… A human being, NOT A PET.
Then I’m left with the unconscionable thought that maybe they’re actually monsters who deliberately left their child in their car to die and they did it with cold calculated premeditation, quite possibly lining up their defense beforehand. Like they’re actually psychopaths or sociopaths. Yeah, or maybe I just watch too many dark mysteries on Netflix.
Solutions
Thankfully General Motors, composed of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC began fitting vehicles with its Rear Seat Reminder system for the 2017' model year. And then starting in 2018' almost all vehicles across all their brands have included door-logic rear sear alarm systems as standard. Hyundai has pledged that Rear Occupant Alerts will be standard on all its vehicles by 2022.’ Toyota and Nissan have also joined in with all the other car manufacturers agreeing that by 2025' all vehicles sold in the US will have a warning system in place.
But what about all the older vehicles on the road today? How are drivers supposed to remember to check their back seats when they transport small children?
Here are some suggestions for parents and grandparents to consider if you drive an older vehicle:
Start a habit of leaving a small stuffed toy in the back seat and when you secure a child in their seat, toss the toy in the front and put it with your purse of your phone as a reminder. Put something you will need when you leave your car in the back seat, such as your purse of your phone. Use drive through services as much as you can on an outing with a child. Have a plan in place with your daycare provider to call you if your child doesn’t show up by a certain time.
The Final Conclusion
If a child dies from heatstroke in your vehicle this is what will happen and it’s not pretty.
First, the police will take you into custody for questioning and God only knows how long it will last. They can hold you for at least 48 hours, if not 72 depending on the circumstances. They will consider pressing charges against you for reckless endangerment of a child, or worse negligent homicide. You will be identified and featured on the local news. They will begin to investigate you by questioning your work place, your neighbors, and your extended family members.
If these aren’t a warning to stay mindful when you’re caring for and transporting children, I don’t know what is.
How do you feel about this issue? Have you ever forgotten a child in the backseat?
Thank you for reading and thoughtful writing everyone.
