"Never forget your kids in the car again". We were just talking about this a couple weeks ago,

[underahedgerow]

I think. About the problem of children being forgotten in the car, and dogs too.

Looks like Waze has gotten into the game. Problem is, I don't like waze, but it seems popular in commuter-based cities.

What do you think? Will this one catch on?

From my buddy at daily caviar.

Waze updates their already popular app with a cool feature Reminding Drivers Not to Forget Their Kid (or dog) in the Car

http://wp.me/p7hrwY-C1

[Warren DeMontague]

1. Anything to make a dent in the problem, is good.

And I wanted to get in before the inevitable posts complaining about "technology bargle wargle and anyway screw people dumb enough to do this, that, and the other."

The fact is, it happens, and it is awful and heartbreaking and human beings are fallible and ANYTHING that can potentially prevent that sort of tragedy I support wholeheartedly.

[Jerry442]

2. Yes, humility is important.

Not to mention a bit of paranoia and downright fear. History shows that under the wrong circumstances, any one of us is capable of an awful f***up. Any help we can to get to avoid that is welcome.

[Hortensis]

3. We raised our kids in LA's oven,

and I never worried about forgetting or inoccasionally leaving close by in sight for more than literally a minute to two the sleeping baby or dog, and certainly not two children who liked to play, "Mom, he touched me!"/"No, I didn't!" Just didn't happen and wouldn't have spent a quarter on this.

Now, if they were turned over to a babysitter, I imagine I might have gotten another babysitter if I suspected she might need one of these.

[unblock]

4. noisy kids can actually be a risk factor

it's hard to forget kids *when* they're being noisy, of course.

but if they're asleep, it's natural to associate quiet with the kids not being in the car. so, if the driver is sleep-deprived, under stress, and/or otherwise distracted, it's possible (still rare, but possible) to forget the kids in the car.

fortunately, in your case, it's much more common for one kid to fall asleep than two, so you're in a better situation than where there's just one. though again, the risks come in when the normal pattern is broken, e.g., if one child stays home (sick, perhaps).


personally, i think the best solution is to simply be incredibly disciplined and make a habit of checking the back seat 100% of the time. for me, it's part of taking the key out of the ignition and locking the car. some people leave their purse or something like that in the back seat as part of that routine.

it's actually a much harder problem than most people realize because even the people who do forget may have remembered 99.9% of the time. from an purely engineering perspective (ignoring the obvious humanity aspect), it's hard to improve on an error rate that's already that low.

[Hortensis]

5. Yes. My worry that springs to mind was children behind the car

as I backed down the driveway. Our neighborhood was carved into the side of a mountain with small yards and was full of children who often played in the streets and ran around to each others' houses.

But that was a real, sensible fear. As you indicate, it's important to keep perspective. In a nation of 330,000,000 people, that these few tragic deaths occur every summer does not mean this is a problem most need to fear. Almost all parents have a built-in anxiety regarding their children that imposes a relative hypervigilence where they are concerned.

Now, pets might well be a different matter. But my guess that the anxious parents who would purchase this are not among those at all likely to stand forgetfully chatting at the bakery counter for 20 minutes anyway. Except where, again, surrogate caretakers are involved. At the moment I'm remembering adolescent siblings in particular...!

[unblock]

6. haven't researched pets, but as for children, being an attentive caregiver has nothing to do with it

it happens to devoted, loving parents who may be otherwise great at tending to their children's needs.

it has more to do with having a break or distraction to a usual routine, especially when combined with stress or lack of sleep.

the scenario i worry about personally is when i have to drop mini-unblock off somewhere in the morning on the way to work. it's easy to go into auto-pilot mode and just go straight to work. neurobiologists have noted that this is completely normal brain behavior. you're supposed to be able to do routine things automatically, allowing the conscious part of your brain to do other things, like mentally prepare for your work day.

that's why i always check the back seat as i leave the car. i like the routine, actually, because it's an opportunity to explicitly think fondly of my son even when i only see an empty car seat.

[Hortensis]

7. Umhm. That's that hypervigilence

nature equips us with. Perspective we have to work at for ourselves.