A 6-month-old boy died after being left for hours in a hot car in Louisiana, authorities said.

The baby was found dead in the backseat by his parent at about 5:46 p.m. Tuesday, according to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.

When the parent went to pick up the baby from day care after work, they realized they forgot to drop him off at day care that morning, the sheriff’s office said.

  • usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    33
    ·
    4 months ago

    If you have children (and your vehicle has this feature) make sure you have the back seat reminder turned on. We all have temporary lapses that usually have little consequence, and this could literally save a life

    • UselesslyBrisk@infosec.pub
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      4 months ago

      for me, i always put my work bag in the back seat for this reason. I would have to open the back door to get it out. Never happened but it was a concern and i completely have a tendancy to be on autopilot in the mornings.

    • beccaboben@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      ·
      4 months ago

      If your car doesn’t have this, you can put one of the shoes you’re wearing in the back seat with the child… You will not walk away with one shoe.

    • ikidd@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      4 months ago

      So there is a feature that is put in a vehicle so people remember that their kids are in the vehicle with them?

      What the actual fuck?

      • SeaJ@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        13
        ·
        edit-2
        4 months ago

        Child seats are supposed to face backwards and kids often fall asleep in the car so if you get distracted and thrown off your normal routine, it is extremely easy to not notice they are there especially if you are sleep deprived. So yes, there is a feature in newer cars that can alert you that there is extra weight or movement in the back seat.

        • usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          4 months ago

          Exactly. Mine is triggered by opening the back door; if the back door was opened before the drive, it’ll remind you at the end of the drive.

        • WeebLife@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          4 months ago

          It seems that my meaning was misunderstood. The term “temporary memory lapse” sounds like it’s downplaying the severity of the consequences ( to me anyway) and putting it on par with, “Sorry I didn’t call you on your birthday, I totally forgot.” “Oh shoot, I left the ice cream in the car and it melted.”

          • usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            19
            ·
            4 months ago

            That’s the scary thing about when this happens though, the memory lapse is the same it’s just the consequences are much much higher. You might not normally drop your kid off at daycare so just drive to work on “autopilot”, it’s a rear-facing carseat and they are asleep so nothing snaps you out of your routine until hours later.

            Read the accounts of the parents who this has happened to, it’s eye-opening. Don’t think you’ll just remember. Don’t leave it up to that.