This summer there have been numerous reports of children being left in cars and dying from hyperthermia. Despite concerted efforts to warn parents and daycare providers about the serious dangers of negligently leaving a child in a car, the number of child injuries and wrongful deaths sustained from overheated cars has tragically remained static.

Last week, the issue was discussed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, auto industry representatives, child safety advocates, meteorologist experts and a parent whose child died this year from being left in a hot car.

In that tragic case, the child was forgotten in the vehicle and not dropped off at her daycare center. Unfortunately, the wrongful death of this child could easily have been prevented if the childcare facility had notified the parent that the child was absent.

At the roundtable discussion, several ideas were suggested to help prevent further deaths from hyperthermia. Among the technical ideas is a manufacturer installed device that could alert childcare providers that a child has been left behind inside a vehicle.

Researchers at Ohio State University are conducting a study to test whether such devices are effective in detecting children and alerting the caregiver if a child has been left behind. However, the idea of such a device remains controversial. Opponents are concerned about its effectiveness and incorrect installation.

Another idea was to put something next to the child that was important or necessary to the caregiver, such as a laptop or cell phone, or to place a reminder in the front seat, such as a stuffed animal.

All of these ideas may be worthwhile. However, Ohio families that rely on child care facilities for the care and protection of their children should insist on clear communication if their child is late or absent. Such communication could have prevented the many tragic deaths that have occurred this summer.

Source: The New York Times, "At Safety Roundtable, Diverging Strategies for Preventing Child Hyperthermia in Cars," Paul Stenquist, 27 July 2011