The 411: Do not leave your kids in the car, sign petition for car safety legislation
My heart is breaking over the news that a 15 month old little boy died yesterday, after being left in a car by his father. Apparently his father forgot to drop him off at day care and left him in the hot car all day.
I hope this tragedy will serve as a reminder to all parents that leaving children in cars is an awful idea. You should never, ever do it.
Kids in Cars is a website devoted to sending that message to parents. Currently they are collecting data for their database of all in instances where children left in cars or unattended around cars has resulted in tragedy- abductions, trunk entrapment, power window strangulation, and running over the child.
When I was traveling with Fuller last month, I was very tempted to leave him in the car while I ran into McDonald’s to use the bathroom. He was sleeping so soundly and I really, really had to go. But there was no way I could do it. I had to wake him up to take him inside, but I knew that leaving him in the car was not a good idea.
Kids in Cars has safety tips to prevent those situations, like using drive throughs (I love the one at our bank) and having the childcare providers bring the children to the car. But I have vowed that even if I have to wake Fuller up from his nap, I cannot leave him in the car.
Kids in Cars offers resources to purchase that give you an edge in preventing these tragedies: rear gaurds for backing up and education resources for schools and parents that include posters and brochures.
There is currently legislation in the works, the Cameron Gulbransen KIDS AND CARS Safety Act of 2007, that would require car manufacturers to include safety measures to prevent power window strangulation, monitors to check detect children behind cars, and extra breaking measures for when the car is moved out of park.
Kids and Cars is another website, with a similar goal as Kids in Cars. The personal stories on the site are heartbreaking, because they could have been prevented by the parent. The people behind Kids and Cars are supporters of this legislation and give a link to where you can sign a petition to send to your Senators and State Representatives. I signed the petition, won’t you?
P.S. This entry has been dugg. Please help spread the word about this petition and digg it too!
children in cars, Cameron Gulbransen KIDS AND CARS Safety Act of 2007, child tragedies
May 3rd, 2007 at 8:21 am
[...] I can’t believe that people still think it’s okay to leave their children in the car unattended. It is so dangerous to do so. I mean, people could come and take your child, the child could suffocate, burn to death… you just don’t know. Read this article about it and sign the petition. You and I can make the difference between life and death for many a child this way. Show what you have learned: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]
May 3rd, 2007 at 8:32 am
[...] Read more about this travesty here. Make sure to sign the petition. We, the people, can make a difference. We can stop children from suffering and dying in our own country by standing up and shouting out that there needs to be a change! [...]
May 4th, 2007 at 7:57 am
This happens at least once a year and it always baffles me how you forget your kid is in the car. Such a sad, preventable, tragedy.
May 5th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
I still don’t understand how you can forget your kid is the car with you.
November 25th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Juan Carlos Ferrero has made three Grand Slam finals and six semifinals since 2001. Photo / Reuters Former World No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero has been confirmed for the Heineken Open. The Spaniard will join compatriots Nicolas Almagro and David Ferrer, who recently succumbed to Roger Federer in the final of the Masters Cup in Shanghai. With Argentinians Guillermo Canas and Juan Monaco and Croatian Mario Ancic all hitting Auckland, the field is rich in quality. Currently ranked 24th, Ferrero may not have been able to add to his career titles tally of 11 in 2007 but he still made the final of Costa Do Suipe, where he was beaten by Canas, and made an impact at numerous other events. He was a semifinalist at Vienna, Acapulco and the Masters Series at Monte Carlo, where he beat Richard Gasquet but lost to Federer. There were also quarter finals at Stuttgart and at Wimbledon, where he lost to champion Federer in four sets, proving that despite being a former Roland Garros…http://my-newsblog.com/