KUALA LUMPUR: Special features or technology in vehicles that remind parents about their children may save lives, say experts.
Universiti Putra Malaysia's Safe Kids Malaysia executive director Professor Dr Kulanthayan K.C. Mani said at present, the telecommunications industry, specifically mobile phone manufacturers, had responded to this need by providing functions in phones that allow users to set reminders about their children's presence in the vehicle.
"A similar approach can be explored by the automotive industry by having this feature in a car, similar to the seat belt warning system."
He said vehicle manufacturers could have the car alarm triggered or have a message sent to the driver's phone if any motion was detected in a locked car.
He said this could be adapted from home alarm systems that send alerts to the owner's phone.
"I strongly believe this can help address the problem of parents forgetting that we have left our child in the car."
He said considering the number of such cases and the country's hot weather, action was warranted.
Safe Kids, he said, planned to hold empowerment programmes with the community on child safety, focusing on unintentional injuries, including heatstroke, on television, radio and in the print media, as well as social media.
"In the next few phases, we plan to develop, implement and evaluate specifically-designed intervention programmes to prevent heatstroke among children."
He said a child's body temperature could rise three to four times faster than an adult's, and the temperature in a car can rise to 52°C within 20 minutes when the temperature outside is about 34°C.
"That's how risky the situation is. The public needs to know that when a child's organs reach 40°C, they will slowly start to shut down. As the (car) temperature reaches 52°C, the child's life will be in danger and this can be fatal."
He said as a preventive measure against heatstroke, children must not be left alone in a car at any time, adding that it was best to leave them at home.
"If you still need to take them, do explore drive thru options when shopping.
"Secondly, cars parked at home should be locked at all times as children may open the car door and play inside. They may close the car door while playing.
"This is dangerous as a locked car with no ventilation is a serious health risk. Parents must teach their kids that a car is not a play area."
Thirdly, he said, parents could create reminders with applications or by placing important documents or items, like bags and phones, in the back next to the child.
"We can leave those at the leg rest area. Upon reaching our destination, we will look for these things at the back and this will remind us our child is there.
"Alternatively, we can also put the child's items, such as bags, on the front passenger seat as a reminder. Remind babysitters, nurseries and kindergartens to give us a call if our child is not there at their usual time. This arrangement can be a safeguard against forgetfulness."
He said the public should practise vigilance by checking whether a parked car had a child inside.
"In case of an emergency, call 999 and together we can save a child from heatstroke."
Safe Kids Worldwide, based in Washington DC, the United States, runs advocacy and awareness programmes with the community on heatstroke among children. For more information, visit www.safekids.org.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff recently said the ministry was working with agencies like the Road Safety Department on improving public awareness of the issue, besides imposing heavier penalties on parents found to be negligent towards their children.
She said seven such cases have been recorded since 2018, and though the number was relatively low in Malaysia, more could be done to prevent more cases.
Source:
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/08/618199/reminder-features-cars-can-save-childrens-lives
