As temperatures rise, so does the pressure placed on national regulators to complete a ruling that would require OEMs to add technology that prevents a child from being left in a hot vehicle. 

There have been 970 children who have died from heatstroke because of being left in a hot car in the past 25 years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It says approximately 38 deaths happen annually with 29 deaths recorded last year.

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act instructed NHTSA to require technology that gives an audio and visual reminder alert to check the back seat.

Congress also instructed NHTSA to issue the federal standard by November 2023 but it missed the deadline, according to multiple media outlets. 

While federal regulations might be slow-moving, most OEMs have voluntarily started the process. According to an Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Auto Innovators) report released late last year, many OEMs have already added rear seat reminder systems to their vehicles or pledged to by 2025. 

Yet, advocacy groups say reminder technology required by the federal act isn’t enough. 

Jannet Fennell, Kids and Cars Safety co-founder and president, told CBS that the technology isn’t enough to alert parents. 

“In fact, we as an organization have documented deaths of six children who have died in cars that have just that reminder, so obviously it’s not effective,” Fennel told CBS.  

Kids and Cars Safety, along with other advocacy groups, are demanding that NHTSA require more advanced technology such as radar systems that detect backseat movement, including a baby breathing, according to a recent CBS article. 

“So, the difference between this and a typical rear alert reminder… is that this actually detects the presence of life,” Tyler Warga, with Bosch, told CBS. “It’s actually doing the displacement in a child’s chest, and so you’re talking millimeters in terms of the type of movement it can detect.”

The article also highlights a technology used in some of Hyundai’s Genesis models. The technology utilizes rear seat alert and radar technology and will send warnings to parents through an app. 

“If the sensor detects movement within the vehicle, you’re going to have the horn go off and you’re also going to get an alert on your smart app,” said Stephanie Beeman, Hyundai America Technical Center manager of vehicle safety, compliance and regulatory affairs, according to CBS. 

In a prepared statement, NHTSA said it was researching technology and solutions beyond the mandated minimum. It said this includes detection technology for unattended occupants. 

CBS asked the Auto Innovators why it wasn’t “committing” to the radar technology. 

“The automakers want to provide technologies that best meet the needs of their customers, and so there are a range of options for them to do that, and radar technologies would be one of those options,” said Hilary Cain, Auto Innovators senior vice president for policy. “There are a lot of people who purchase vehicles today that do not have children and may not need or want these systems. Since these systems will be standard on all vehicles, there will be a cost reflected in the price of the vehicle for the technologies. Providing a range of technologies may give purchasers who are not interested in the technology [or] don’t need the technology a lower price point than otherwise.”

The CBS article notes that an NHTSA report on the subject issued in March 2023 puts the retail cost for the radar technology at about $20. 

What the report doesn’t factor in is the added complexity and cost of vehicle repairs that come with technology advancements. Nor does it factor in the increase in insurance to cover costlier repairs. 

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) including automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind spot monitoring, and lane departure warning can increase repair costs by up to 37.6% after a crash, according to a recent study by AAA. 

“Even minor damage to systems such as front radar or distance sensors can result in additional repair expenses up to $1,540,” the study says. 

A recent CNN Business article focused on the rising complexity of collision repairs, even for minor fender benders, due to the increasing use of technology in vehicles. 

“The change that we’ve seen in the last five years is greater than we’ve seen, probably, in the last five decades,” said Todd Dillender, chief operating officer of Caliber Collision, in the article. 

Dave Gruskos, Reliable Automotive Equipment, Inc. president, previously told Repairer Driven News the evolution of technical advancements that started with companies, such as Mercedes-Benz, 25 years ago used to take a decade or more to become industry-wide. He said now, similar advancements can be widespread within a year of introduction to the industry. 

“As vehicles become more technologically advanced, even seemingly unrelated components like air conditioning units and radios can pose challenges during repair,” Gruskos said. “Technicians may need to be trained in diagnosing and repairing issues with these systems, which may involve both mechanical and electronic components.”

Gruskos added that as the complexity increases, so does the cost to the repair shop. 

“Adapting to these changes requires ongoing investment in training, equipment, and infrastructure to ensure that repair shops can effectively address the complex needs of modern vehicles,” Gruskos said.

A November Repairer Driven News article found that the growth in back seat reminder adoption could require extra research of OEM procedures to ensure the feature is functioning before a repaired vehicle is returned to its owner.

For example, at the time Ford offered guidance on its website to ensure its rear occupant alert system was enabled. To enable or disable the system, it said a user should first select settings on the cabin’s screen and then click “vehicle.” From there, they can choose which settings they’d like to activate or opt to turn the system off and receive no alerts. If a child seat is installed, the system removes the need to buckle the rear seatbelt to activate the system.

A July 2022 Collision Advice “Who Pays For What?” survey found that payment of labor for seat belt inspections — an often overlooked but recommended post-collision procedure by every automaker — is up 3% this year to 37% of shops overall who asked for payment receiving it.

In NHTSA’s report on the subject, it explored three different technology classes: 

• • OEM vehicle systems 
  • Pediatric car seat systems 
  • Aftermarket systems

OEM vehicle systems were found with three sub-classes of technology:

• • Rear seat reminder exemplified in the GMC Acadia and similar to what the federal act requires. 
  • Ultrasonic sensor rear occupant alert that could detect children in the vehicle exemplified in the Hyundai Palisade.
  • Radar sensor rear occupant alert, such as the one found in some models of Hyundai Genesis. 

Two technologies were found for pediatric car seat systems that can notify parents if a child is still in a seat after they’ve left the vehicle: 

• • Evenflo car seats using SensorSafe senses when two halves of the car seat’s clips are snapped together and have temperature sensing to alert parents if conditions are too hot or too cold. 
  • BeSafe car seats use a smart buckle sensor that can alert parents via Bluetooth if they are out of range. 

“e-Tethering is a good way to reduce pediatric vehicle heat stroke in today’s ‘always-on culture,’ but the downside is that if the parent leaves their smartphone in the vehicle along with the child it won’t be alerted,” the report says. 

Five technologies were found for aftermarket monitoring systems: 

• • Elepho eClip – a smartphone-connected belt clip.
  • Babi Smart Cushion – a smartphone-connected pressure sensor.
  • Steel Mate – a weight-sensitive pad for baby seats and a driver’s seat belt sensor connected to an in-vehicle alert.
  • Feisike – a pediatric video camera that allows for monitoring infants in the rear seat on a dash-mounted display. No alerting function included.
  • Snookums – a physical mirror to allow for observing rear-facing infants in the rear seat through the driver’s rear-view mirror. No alerting function included.

“With each technology, and for each specific system, there are inherent advantages and disadvantages,” the report says. 

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