Back-Seat Warning Systems Proliferate
Standard installations increase as pledged deadline nears intended to prevent children from being left in hot cars.
Warning systems include motion-sensing detectors and those that signal after a vehicle is turned off and the rear seat is still occupied.
Pexels/Gustavo Fring
Rear seat reminder systems are much more common after automakers pledged five years ago to install them in all new vehicles by 2025, according to an industry trade group.
The audible and visual systems are designed to prevent children from being left in hot vehicles.
The signals are now in 263 models, up 22% year-over-year, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents international automakers that build and sell in the U.S. That’s five times the number of equipped models when the pledge was signed in 2019.
Last year, the alliance pointed out, 29 children died from heatstroke in the U.S. after being left in vehicles, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. It said children’s body temperature increased up to five times faster than adults’.
Warning systems signal after a vehicle is turned off and the rear seat is still occupied, and motion-sensing detectors.
“This is outstanding and impactful leadership from the auto industry that we know will prevent preventable tragedies,” said alliance President and CEO John Bozzella in a press release. “We’re closer than ever to achieving a major safety goal: universal rear-seat reminder systems.”
More Industry
Service on Wheels
More auto dealerships are offering mobile servicing for today’s convenience-minded consumers to boost business and stand out from competition, though it may not fit every store.
Read More →
Luxury Auto Group Sells San Diego Stores
A major U.S. luxury automotive group, O’Gara Coach, sold its rooftops in La Jolla, a coastal neighborhood in San Diego, Calif.
Read More →
Parts Delivery Takes Flight
A Detroit auto group has launched an autonomous parts-delivery program using drone technology, thanks to a grant from Michigan’s Advanced Air Mobility Activation Fund.
Read More →
Recalled Vehicles Hit 5-Year High
Though the number of events has fallen so far this year, impacted units are up significantly. Meanwhile, regulators consider consumer notification changes.
Read More →
NY Advances Charging Infrastructure
Public EV charging in New York is getting a boost with a new program designed to help public entities cut purchase and installation costs of Level 2 charging stations.
Read More →
China as Pacesetter
Automotive leaders huddled on where North America stands in the global picture and how it can strengthen its position against the Asian juggernaut’s surging industry.
Read More →
Find Efficiency in Fixed Ops
A new report shows how service departments can maximize their profitability through efficiency, productivity and the right tools in technicians' hands.
Read More →
Closing the Seat Gap
Mass-market brand vehicle seats are outpacing luxury versions when it comes to customer satisfaction, according JD Power research.
Read More →
Auto Industry Execs Talk Trade, Tariffs
Participants in a U.S.-Canada discussion tallied the costs and compiled a list of remedies, including preservation of the North American trade agreement that the U.S. recently declined to renew.
Read More →
Structure Leads to Optimized Auto Listings
As the average car-buying journey has shifted to a blend of digital and retail, a dealership’s vehicle listings must be optimized to answer shoppers’ questions clearly and accurately.
Read More →