GMC Brings New Safety Feature: Rear Seat Reminder

Motorists don’t always realize how rapidly an unattended auto can reach hazardous temperatures. Each summer, we hear about more children who experience heat stroke and die in hot vehicles.  Without the cooling system in operation, its metal, glass and seat materials quickly become hot. General Motors is attempting to prevent heat stroke deaths with a new safety system. The Rear Seat Reminder warns motorists when they might forget kids in the back of the 2017 GMC Acadia, a spacious four-door SUV.

This feature doesn’t use sensors or scales to detect passengers. Instead, it notices when drivers open and close the rear passenger doors. If someone opens them less than 10 minutes after starting the Acadia, it suspects that there’s a child in the rear seat. The system reacts by activating an alert before a driver leaves the SUV. It tries to get the motorist’s attention by making a chime sound five times. The vehicle also shows a warning message on a screen.

Although these fatalities primarily occur in the summer, the Rear Seat Reminder will remain active at all temperatures and times of year. It does this because cold weather also kills or otherwise harms children in unattended autos. Additionally, direct sunlight can make a vehicle’s interior become much hotter than the outdoor temperature. Even under ideal conditions, kids could suffer from dehydration when left behind in cars too long. Children might become lost or fall victim to criminals if they manage to escape a vehicle without supervision.

General Motors’ new system could prevent heat stroke and other deaths caused by genuine forgetfulness. However, it’s still important to exercise caution and check for children trapped inside vehicles. Kids sometimes become stuck in autos by accident when they play. People will probably ignore the warnings if they purposefully leave youngsters in cars. Some individuals do this because they believe that they won’t be away long enough for hot or cold conditions to cause any harm.

Like all safety features, the Rear Seat Reminder will probably save some lives but not others. Many parents need to learn more about the hazards of leaving kids in unattended vehicles; this is the only way such deaths can be completely prevented. Nonetheless, it’s great that General Motors is making an effort to protect children from getting trapped in this dangerous situation. If the new safety feature proves successful, we may begin to see it in additional GMC models.