Kars4Kids Safety app? We’ve updated it. Are you still driving without it?
If so, the facts should stop you cold: babies are dying in hot cars, all over America.
- Total number of U.S. heatstroke deaths of children left in cars, 2015: 8
- Total number of U.S. heatstroke deaths of children left in cars, 2014: 31
- Total number of U.S. heatstroke deaths of children left in cars, 1998-present: 645
- Average number of U.S. child heatstroke fatalities per year since 1998: 37
That’s the reason Kars4Kids developed Kars4Kids Safety, and it’s the reason we’ve now updated the app to make it more intuitive, 
more user-friendly. We’ve made it something you’ll want to use. Something that might save your baby’s life.
Last year, the focus of the Kars4Kids Safety app campaign was how perfect parents can’t fight back against the perfect brain storm that causes hot car deaths. It’s just the way the brain works under stress. Here’s what we wanted to get across: an involuntary cognitive brain process says nothing about parenting ability.
We tried to make the point that even YOU need this app, because a brain process is not about poor parenting. Because we feel that a parent’s pride should not stand in the way of offering an extra layer of protection to his child. And by the way, the app is free–we just want your baby to stay safe.
This year, in addition to taking the Kars4Kids Safety App to the next level, from adequate to wow, we chose to focus on the way heat rises to unbearable, and yes, deadly levels inside a closed car inside of a few short minutes. We show what it’s like for an adult to sit inside a closed car on a summer’s day in this video:
If an adult can’t take 15 minutes of sitting in a hot car with temperatures rising all the time, just imagine how it is for an infant or toddler. It hurts to think about it.
But as parents, do we really have a choice?
This summer is already proving to be hotter than usual. Eight babies have already died from being left in cars. We know that the number of infant deaths due to heatstroke from being left in cars is bound to rise as the summer heat reaches its peak.
The Kars4Kids Safety App prevents all-too-preventable deaths by alerting you to check the backseat of your car to make sure you haven’t left your little one behind. It works by pairing the Bluetooth function of your car with your phone. When you leave the car, an alert goes off reminding you to check you’ve taken baby with you.
Kars4Kids Safety App: New Features
You can set the app to automatic, so that it always alerts you to check the backseat of your car for baby, or you can schedule the app for specific times, for instance, the time you normally drop off or pick up your child from daycare. You can also just let the app let you decide whether or not you want to turn on the alert when you’re getting ready to drive.
The updated Kars4Kids Safety App is also more attractive, which makes it more likely you’ll enjoy using it. You can upload your baby’s photo so that it shows in the background when the app kicks in and during alerts. Altogether, this new version of the Safety App is sleek, beautifully designed, and a pleasure to use.
There’s no question that Kars4Kids is having an impact and helping to raise awareness of the dangers of hot car deaths. Last summer, Kars4Kids sent out over 10,000 informational posters to pediatricians’ offices and guess what? They called and asked for more. We even had interested parents calling in to our customer service representatives to ask questions about what they can do to protect their dearest possessions: their babies.
So what can you do to make sure your baby stays safe this summer? Download the Kars4Kids Safety App from the Google Play store. And make sure you share this post with your friends.
It just may save a life.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published June 29, 2015, and has been completely revised and updated for accuracy and scope.
About Varda Epstein
Varda Meyers Epstein serves as editor in chief of Kars4Kids Parenting. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Varda is the mother of 12 children and is also a grandmother of 12. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, The Learning Site, The eLearning Site, and Internet4Classrooms.
Am I hearing this correctly , you promote an ” App ” to remind you that you have a kid in the back of your vehicle ? . Is this correct ?
Yes. And if you were to read about what happens to the brain when parents are sleep deprived or stressed, you would understand the need for this sort of app or other reminder system.