Update on Hot Car Deaths

A bit more than a year ago, I posted a special post about the tragedy of hot car deaths. I tied it into Parshat Naso. You can see the original post HERE.

The purpose of the post was to present an idea that I heard which can help reduce these kinds of tragedies. Here is precisely what I wrote:

We are all aware of hot car deaths. They are among the most heart-wrenching tragedies imaginable. Especially since they are 100% avoidable. It can happen to anyone. The most caring, conscientious, and experienced of parents (or older siblings). All it takes is a very fleeting understandable bout of absent-mindedness and one’s life is lost (a recent news item actually mentioned two twins, R”L), at least two others are ruined and a marriage, even if it survives, is irreparably damaged.

There seems to be an organization that keeps track of these incidents. You can find it HERE. They claim that since they started tracking in 1998 they have documented 749 cases in the US. Comes out to almost 40 per year. This is in the US. Here in E"Y it is even hotter and there's less shade. We are not strangers to these tragedies.

These are the known cases and these are the ones that ended badly. I am certain the number of cases which had a happier ending, but were just as perilous, is in a multiple of – who knows? – 5 or 10 times. I can even attest to perhaps two minor (B”H) incidents involving my own children under my care.

The reason I am writing this is that I very recently saw in a news write-up a very effective method of minimizing these devastatingly tragic incidents and I cannot hold back from sharing it. If it prevents even one incident, it is mekayam an olam malei.

The method is this:

When you strap your child into the car seat in the back, take something you cannot be without such as your wallet, your pocketbook, your cellphone (if you can spare it), or even one of your shoes, and wedge it underneath or behind the child’s car seat.

This way, in case you forget to drop the kid at the babysitter or nursery and go on to your personal destination, when you get there, you will want to retrieve your missing accessory and VOILA! –there’s the baby - quiet as a mouse!

A shoe is a bit awkward but is relatively fool-proof. Wallets and cell phones may still be overlooked (I have left them in my car plenty) but still you will discover it’s absence [hopefully] soon enough.

May we all have a great and safe summer and never ever hear of these needless tragedies.

Well, it happened again just yesterday in Kiryat Sefer (bDH"E). There is even legislation being proposed in the Knesset to force people to install warning devices (see HERE). 

This may not be necessary. I want to share another similar trick that somebody just sent to me. It is amazingly simple and amazingly inexpensive. It is demonstrated in a Hebrew language video but you don't really need to know Hebrew to follow it.

Please watch this:

(Note - In case the video does not show up in the email version of this post, you can see it on the actual blog site HERE.)

Of course, those of you with large minivans who keep the car seats at the back row or who don't have bucket seats up front will need to climb a little to get this done. Also you may need a longer coil. It may be easier if you attach the car seat side first when you insert the child and toss the attached keys up front. It's definitely worth the trouble.

One thing is certain, it's only going to work if it's put to use!

Now that the three weeks are here, we need to really be on guard. Please have a safe summer, and...
don't forget the kids!