Sen. Franken Announces Bill to Prevent Children from Becoming Trapped in Hot Cars

Press Release

With the summer heat in full force in Minnesota, Senator Al Franken has announced that he will be introducing a new bill to help prevent children from being trapped in the back seats of hot cars.

Tragically, an average of 37 children die each year in overheated cars, and more than 700 have died nationwide since 1998. The Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seat Act (HOT CARS Act) would seek to save the lives of children before they become trapped in a hot car. The bill would require newly manufactured cars to come equipped with technology to alert drivers if a child is left in the back seat once the car is turned off. Such technology exists and is available in some vehicles-including many of GM's 2017 and 2018 models-but has not yet been implemented on a larger scale.

"Each summer, we hear heart-wrenching stories about children whose lives end far too early because they were accidentally trapped in the back seat of a hot car. We can do something to prevent these terrible tragedies. This commonsense legislation would make sure that there are measures in place to alert you if your child is left in the back seat. I want to see this life-saving technology become the standard in our cars."

The bill, which Sen. Franken will be introducing soon with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require cars come equipped with technology to alert the driver to check the back seat when the car is turned off. The bill also asks NHTSA to study and report on options and best practices for retrofitting existing vehicles with aftermarket technology.

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