Child Minder Alerts Caregivers to Children in Hot Cars

Every summer we read stories about children being left in hot cars to suffer in sweltering heat, or tragically, to die. This year, at least 19 young children have died in the United States after being left inside a hot vehicle, and 29 died in 2006, according to a San Francisco State University study. So it comes as little surprise that a technology solution is available to help parents and caregivers remember their precious cargo should they forget.

The Child Minder by Baby Alert is a two-piece system, a "smart clip" that attaches to a child seat safety belt and a key ring alarm that attaches to keys. When a caregiver walks more than 10 feet away from the automobile with the keys, an alarm sounds as a reminder that the child is still in the vehicle. Once the smart clip is unfastened, the alarm stops and the unit is deactivated.

It is a $65 peace-of-mind purchase. I can see it appealing to working parents who trust their children to a nanny's care and parents who know they could use some extra reminders on rushed days.  

Still, it is sad to believe a device like this is necessary. But if someone intentionally leaves a child in her car seat thinking she's running into the Post Office or a store for coffee for just a few minutes, this kind of device would remind a caregiver that's not a good idea. Then again, I'm not sure that's the kind of parent who would buy a device like this, but if it were built into the car, that would be another story.

Sandy Maple at Parent Dish writes that automakers should consider installing similar devices in cars, despite industry arguments that these systems give off too many false alarms. "That sounds like an excuse to me. Safety devices give false alarms all the time," she writes. "How many times has your car's intruder alarm gone off because of thunder?"

What are your thoughts? Should parents need something like the Child Minder? Or is the reality that in today's rushed world this is technology that makes good sense?

LINK: Devices to prevent kids from being left in hot cars [Parent Dish]