Car Alarm

Car temperatures during the summer months can reach dangerous heights, putting children at risk of overheating. Sitting in a hot car can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke, life threatening conditions. Every year, an average of 38 children die from being left in the car. Many of these children were only left alone for just a few minutes, but it only takes few minutes for the inside of a car to reach dangerously high temperatures.

The Danger of Hot Cars

Because of their size, children are more susceptible to dehydration and heat stroke, and they can heat up five times faster than an adult. Once the body temperature reaches 104 degrees, it begins to experiences the complications of heat exhaustion. Even on a mild summer day with temperatures in the 70s, a car’s temperature can reach triple digits. Cars can also become overheated in the winter months as well, although the problem is more common in summertime. Experts recommend never leaving a child in the car unattended. However, many parents still do, either accidently or intentionally, leaving their children in danger. Several gadgets are hitting the market to try to help reduce these fatalities, including the Sound of Life temperature alarm.

An Idea is Born

One mother, Felicia Marshall, became tired of hearing all the news stories about children left in cars unattended. Initially, she could no understand how parents could leave their children, but then it happened to her. After coming home from the grocery store, she thought her mother took her child out of the car, so she went inside and began to unpack groceries. It took her a few minutes to realize her mistake. This made her realize the true dangers parents face, and the need for an alarm. She knows that even these small moments can lead to deadly consequences, so she decided to do something to help parents by designing a car alarm, called the Sound of Life.

Sound of Life Temperature Alarm

The Sound of Life alarm has two pieces and can fit any model of vehicle. It is designed to set off the car’s alarm system if the doors are locked, the engine is off, and a child remains sitting in a car seat. It can be triggered by any body heat, weight or motion in the car. The car alarm will let parents, or any passersby, know that the child has been left inside the car. This can lead to a quick reaction to save the child before any problems ensue. A Pittsburg company has taken her idea and designed the product. Now Marshall is just waiting on funding so she can manufacture it.

Other Ideas

Marshall is not the only one trying to find a way to fix this problem. Companies are working on car seats with temperature alarms inbuilt, and other types of alarms. With over 600 children dying since 1990 due to being left in a car, it is imperative to find some way to signal parents and passersby about the danger of the children in the cars.

Public Awareness

In addition to alarms, it is important to create public awareness about the problem. Many people assume that the parents who leave their children in the cars do so out of neglect, but the reality is that it is just as easy to accidently leave a child in a car. Additionally, many parents do not realize the real danger of leaving a child in a locked car for even two minutes. By raising public awareness about how quickly car temperatures rise, some cases will be prevented. With alarms like Sound of Life, many, if not all, cases of children dying in overheated cars will be prevented.

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