topic Re: Hot Car Deaths in Community Chat

Hot Car Deaths

CJC — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 18:54:09 GMT

Saw on news today that another baby, 6 months I believe, has died as a result of being left in a hot car. My heart goes out to the families who must live with this tragedy for the rest of their lives. Pets meeting the same fate. Why is this happening? I am 70, so AC in vehicles has been commonplace only for the second half of my lifetime. I cannot remember hearing of these hot car deaths while I was growing up or when I was a young parent--cars were always hot back then. Are children and pets being overlooked because a parent is rushed, stressed out, multitasking, texting/talking, eating? Is it because children used to ride in the front seat?

Re: Hot Car Deaths

HappyDaze — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:01:37 GMT

It just disgusts me. Time and time again they warn about doing this and time and time again we continue to hear about death after death of children and pets. There is NO excuse for this, ever. And who in the world leaves their children in a car regardless of the weather? And why bring your dog out and about shopping only to leave them in the car? Leave them at home where they will be safe. Geez. Makes me ill.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

deepwaterdotter — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:10:25 GMT

Heard a report ths weekend of a police dog in Georgia who died after being left by the officer in a hot police vehicle for 3 hours. He said he forget about the dog.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

Lipstickdiva — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:16:54 GMT

@deepwaterdotter wrote:
Heard a report ths weekend of a police dog in Georgia who died after being left by the officer in a hot police vehicle for 3 hours. He said he forget about the dog.

I don't understand how you can forget about your police dog, who is your partner. He raised that dog from the time she was a puppy. I know this isn't the first time this has happened but IMO if a cop is stupid enough to do this, he's too stupid to have a job as a cop.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

ChynnaBlue — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:14:34 GMT

@HappyDaze wrote:
It just disgusts me. Time and time again they warn about doing this and time and time again we continue to hear about death after death of children and pets. There is NO excuse for this, ever. And who in the world leaves their children in a car regardless of the weather? And why bring your dog out and about shopping only to leave them in the car? Leave them at home where they will be safe. Geez. Makes me ill.

Most of the time they aren't aware that they did it. It's not usually, for children, at least, a case of the parent leaving the child in a car to run into a store and get something. It's usually a parent who has had a change in routine, like a father who is dropping a child off at day care when normally his wife would do it, or vice versa. It's someone who had 3 other children who were all crying or needing something and one got left behind by accident. No one intends to do this. And, considering the number of other things I've mistakenly left behind (including my keys inside my front door overnight just this past Thursday), I would never, ever assume that such a horrible mistake is beyond me. It did happen to someone from my company, someone I never met, but someone I saw live the tragedy on television and who I know will never be the same because he has to live with that tragic mistake.

The real shame is that car companies have been so slow to come up with solutions. App makers are coming up with some now, and I hope they save lives.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

HappyDaze — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:27:10 GMT

Sorry @ChynnaBlue but I can't ever imagine leaving a child behind, forgetting about them in a car. Ever. I don't blame the car companies for not "coming up with a solution" (why would the responsibility and blame be more on them??)- the adults responsible for those children are the ones responsible and should always check the car before the leave if they can't remember if a child may be in the car??! I can't believe I even have to say that. There really is never an excuse to forget about a child (or pet). Ever. Forgetting your keys or your purse or whatever item in your car is not even in the same realm as forgetting about a human being or living, breathing pet.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

Marp — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:21:55 GMT

@Lipstickdiva wrote:
@deepwaterdotter wrote:
Heard a report ths weekend of a police dog in Georgia who died after being left by the officer in a hot police vehicle for 3 hours. He said he forget about the dog.
I don't understand how you can forget about your police dog, who is your partner. He raised that dog from the time she was a puppy. I know this isn't the first time this has happened but IMO if a cop is stupid enough to do this, he's too stupid to have a job as a cop.

ROME, N.Y. (AP) — The baby son of a police officer has died after being left inside a vehicle in central New York, where outside temperatures were around 80 degrees.

Oneida County sheriff’s deputies say Rome police officer Mark Fanfarillo found 4-month-old Michael inside the vehicle Monday afternoon and called 911.

The child was rushed to Rome Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities say Michael was left in his father’s vehicle for an “extended period of time.” Michael’s father, a 10-year veteran of the Rome Police Department, was responsible for watching him at the time.

An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday to determine the cause of death.

No charges have been filed.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

Lipstickdiva — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:24:31 GMT

@Marp wrote:

I don't understand how you can forget about your police dog, who is your partner. He raised that dog from the time she was a puppy. I know this isn't the first time this has happened but IMO if a cop is stupid enough to do this, he's too stupid to have a job as a cop.

ROME, N.Y. (AP) — The baby son of a police officer has died after being left inside a vehicle in central New York, where outside temperatures were around 80 degrees.
Oneida County sheriff’s deputies say Rome police officer Mark Fanfarillo found 4-month-old Michael inside the vehicle Monday afternoon and called 911.

The child was rushed to Rome Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities say Michael was left in his father’s vehicle for an “extended period of time.” Michael’s father, a 10-year veteran of the Rome Police Department, was responsible for watching him at the time.

An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday to determine the cause of death.

No charges have been filed.

OMG! I just don't understand it.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

Lipstickdiva — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:27:29 GMT

@CJC, is this the case in Iowa where the father left the kid in the car while he went into the barbershop?

Re: Hot Car Deaths

Mz iMac — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:28:35 GMT

@ChynnaBlue

I agree w/everything in your post except for this part....

"The real shame is that car companies have been so slow to come up with solutions."

As far as I am concerned, it is not the car companies responsibility. It is CHILD "NEGLECT." It is the parent(s) responsibily to "PROTECT" their children. In the county I live in & possibly the whole state, it is a CRIME to leave children under a certain age in a auto alone. If death occurrs the parent(s) are prosecuted to the FULL EXTENT. Besides 2nd degree murder or manslaughter they are also charged w/neglect.

In the past, the horrors of what these parents did to their children did not matter to them, as some were repeat offenders. These children were saved by concerned citizens who called the police.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

occasionalrain — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:28:39 GMT

How is it that it's common now and rare years ago? A person protects what they value, they don't forget to go to work or to buy their lottery ticket or to watch the Game. They forget their child or pet because they are thinking about something else, something that means more to them.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

Lipstickdiva — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:30:33 GMT

It's amazing to me that these people somehow manage to remember to grab their purse or cellphone or bags, etc. but they forgot the one thing that is most important.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

HappyDaze — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:32:51 GMT

@Lipstickdiva wrote:
It's amazing to me that these people somehow manage to remember to grab their purse or cellphone or bags, etc. but they forgot the one thing that is most important.

yes, I am sure that cellphone was glued to their hand...

Re: Hot Car Deaths

ChynnaBlue — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:33:15 GMT

@HappyDaze wrote:
Sorry @ChynnaBlue but I can't ever imagine leaving a child behind, forgetting about them in a car. Ever. I don't blame the car companies for not "coming up with a solution" (why would the responsibility and blame be more on them??)- the adults responsible for those children are the ones responsible and should always check the car before the leave if they can't remember if a child may be in the car??! I can't believe I even have to say that. There really is never an excuse to forget about a child (or pet). Ever. Forgetting your keys or your purse or whatever item in your car is not even in the same realm as forgetting about a human being or living, breathing pet.

I didn't say the responsibility was more on them, but they have had many opportunities to save lives and have chosen to do nothing and that is always a shame.

Now parents and entrepreneurs are coming up with solutions with apps that car companies and car seat makers could have been working on but were not.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

HappyDaze — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:36:32 GMT

@ChynnaBlue wrote:
@HappyDaze wrote:
Sorry @ChynnaBlue but I can't ever imagine leaving a child behind, forgetting about them in a car. Ever. I don't blame the car companies for not "coming up with a solution" (why would the responsibility and blame be more on them??)- the adults responsible for those children are the ones responsible and should always check the car before the leave if they can't remember if a child may be in the car??! I can't believe I even have to say that. There really is never an excuse to forget about a child (or pet). Ever. Forgetting your keys or your purse or whatever item in your car is not even in the same realm as forgetting about a human being or living, breathing pet.
I didn't say the responsibility was more on them, but they have had many opportunities to save lives and have chosen to do nothing and that is always a shame.

Now parents and entrepreneurs are coming up with solutions with apps that car companies and car seat makers could have been working on but were not.

The shame is in the fact that parents left their child or pet behind. You should not need an app to remind me, in fact, if you can remember to bring your cellphone to view the app, how the hell can you not remember to BRING YOUR CHILD OR PET?

Ugh, we shouldn't be relying on apps and cars and alarms to remind us of our precious babies in our cars, If our lives are so hectic that we can't remember our babies but can remember our phone and purses something is wrong in our lives, priorities are screwed up and should be reassessed.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

ChynnaBlue — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:37:39 GMT

@Mz iMac wrote:
@ChynnaBlue

I agree w/everything in your post except for this part....
"The real shame is that car companies have been so slow to come up with solutions."

As far as I am concerned, it is not the car companies responsibility. It is CHILD "NEGLECT." It is the parent(s) responsibily to "PROTECT" their children. In the county I live in & possibly the whole state, it is a CRIME to leave children under a certain age in a auto alone. If death occurrs the parent(s) are prosecuted to the FULL EXTENT. Besides 2nd degree murder or manslaughter they are also charged w/neglect.

In the past, the horrors of what these parents did to their children did not matter to them, as some were repeat offenders. These children were saved by concerned citizens who called the police.

The car companies know this is an issue, as do the child seat makers, and not one of them chose to pursue a solution.

It's not their 'responsibility', but since when does it have to be someone's responsibility in order to come up with a solution that affects so many? It takes a village and they could have done something, but they chose to ignore it and do nothing - probably because they didn't think it was their responsibility. How many lives might be saved if they did take some responsibility, not out of obligation, but because it was the right thing to do?

Re: Hot Car Deaths

happycat — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:38:02 GMT

I don't understand it either. Another thing I don't understand is why sometimes charges are filed and other times, it is called an accident or mistake and no charges are filed.

Re: Hot Car Deaths

Andreatoo — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:49:02 GMT

The saddest thing I've heard in relation to the glut of hot car deaths are the tips given. 'put your phone or laptop in the back seat. Something important that you're unlikely to forget'

?????!!!!!!!!!! The kid isn't the important thing in the back seat?!!

Re: Hot Car Deaths

ChynnaBlue — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:48:14 GMT

@occasionalrain wrote:
How is it that it's common now and rare years ago? A person protects what they value, they don't forget to go to work or to buy their lottery ticket or to watch the Game. They forget their child or pet because they are thinking about something else, something that means more to them.

People make this assumption about a lot of things, but I haven't seen evidence to back this up. We hear about it more often now, but that's not the same as it actually happening more often. It's not.

It's the same with things like child kidnappings, which were perceived to have gone way up several years ago, but had actually fallen in number. The 24/7 news cycle just made it appear that way by shifting the focus.

In 2015, people thought that the number of officers being killed had gone way up, but the numbers were actually down.

Here's a page with the data, including a simple chart showing the numbers since 1998. http://noheatstroke.org/

Re: Hot Car Deaths

bri20 — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 19:49:26 GMT

I cannot even begin to understand forgetting your kid or pet in a car. It's incomprehensible to me. There is no justifiable excuse