Vehicle anti-child heat stroke devices are unreliable

> Vehicle anti-child heat stroke devices are unreliable The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on the 30th that commercially available devices that claim to prevent children from dying from heat stroke in cars are not reliable...

> The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on the 30th that commercially available devices that claim to prevent children from dying from heat stroke in cars are unreliable and cannot replace other measures that parents can take.

NHTSA Administrator Strickland said the device, which includes sensors that can detect children left in hot cars, uses technology that is prone to false alarms and difficult to install correctly.

Heat stroke is the leading cause of car-related death in children under 14 years old in the United States but not car accidents. According to research from San Francisco State University, about 500 children died from 1998 to 2009 when their parents left them in unattended cars. The number of deaths of children left in cars increased to 49 in 2010 and dropped to 33 last year.

Results of a Children's Hospital of Philadelphia study on detecting the effects of technology on children show that there are many limitations to such devices, including inconsistent sensing, potential interference with car electronic systems, short circuits caused by contamination with drinks, and device failure when children leave their seats. The device currently on the market is the ChildMinder Smart Pad System, for example, which costs about 70 yuan including installation. Some devices can detect car seat pressure, while others can sound an alarm when the car is locked or the key is removed while the child is still in the car.

Strickland emphasized that all safety technology, especially devices designed to protect children, must be free of flaws. However, NHTSA still advises parents to remove children when exiting the vehicle, even if the windows are partially open or the air conditioner is on.