Aug. 20, 2012
As summer days are reaching their long, hot peak, many retailers are heavily marketing devices that are designed to help warn parents if their child is left inside the closed vehicle—where temperatures can quickly escalate to dangerously high levels. The federal government is now warning the devices cannot be relied upon to protect your children.
The New York Times reported that a study conducted through combined efforts from the Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that the devices, designed to set off an alarm when a child is left alone in a vehicle, were “unreliable.”
The devices never consistently functioned effectively, and they failed to warn if a child gets into a vehicle on their own. A total of 14 devices were examined and fatal flaws were found in each, leading many experts to believe relying on this product may lead to a Colorado personal injury.
However, manufacturers argue that, “[The device] may annoy you when it goes off with just the hint of smoke, but you’ll be thankful you have it if you really need it.”
The Colorado Personal Injury Lawyers with the McDivitt Law Firm recommend parents consider placing an item, such as a purse or phone, in the backseat of the vehicle to help prevent a child from being left alone in a car. This way, it becomes habit to always check the backseat before exiting.
