A device to prevent hot car deaths

[Cyborg Girl]

https://www.gofundme.com/cause/kid-hero ... shop-curry

Invented out of idealism and anger by a 10 year old kid, no less.

[Thumper]

That there has to be a device created to prevent this is mind boggling. But that doesn't take away from this inspiring kid and his project. I hope this works out and he goes on to more successes.

[SciFiFisher]

Some very interesting research out there about the level of distraction that people deal with. Apparently, forgetting your kid is in the car is the result of a combination of pattern/habit thinking and distraction.

[Thumper]

I guess I still don't get it. If my Kid was in the car, she was in the car for a reason. I'm taking her to, or picking her up from somewhere. It's not like she was a chocolate bar I forgot and left in there and it melted. When I get to my destination, I'm gathering her things, unbuckling her and walking her to where she's supposed to be. It's not like she just happened to get buckled into my car, I completely forgot about her and spent 3 hours at Wallmart, or the strip club...
But I guess that's me.

[Rommie]

Thumper, the crazy thing is they've done research, and while most people will tell you that they would never leave their child in the back seat of a car by accident, turns out it can happen to anyone. Usually on a day when your routine is a little different, for whatever reason.

Article on the research

[Thumper]

Yep, crazy.
We were usually talking or singing. Later we were yelling at each other.
Either way, not hard to forget she was in there...
And good trips or bad, I'd quietly tell myself, "You're going to miss this."
I seriously, seriously cannot fathom not remembering someone is in my car.
Maybe I'm the anomaly.

[SciFiFisher]

I think a large percentage of people have not had that experience of forgetting something that critical. What is surprising is that it can happen to people who would not be "expected" to do that. The drug addict who goes to the strip bar and just "forgets" the kid in the car seat is what we usually think of when we think about the type of person who does that. What is shocking is that in some instances it has actually happened to a very responsible person.

Frankly, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. One part of me wants to crucify anyone who would do that to a child. Another part realizes that the brain can be "tricked" into forgetting the most important details.

[Rommie]

Yeah, see, I'm totally an absentminded professor type with basic things so can understand it. I'm not saying forgetting a kid in the car levels, but definitely spend several minutes wandering around the house looking for keys I'm holding in my hand levels, which is not a small feat in itself.