Infant deaths resulting in the baby being left inside a hot car has become increasingly common in America. Year after year, reports of such tragic incidents continue to be in the headlines for various reasons.
Two Harvard students, who believe that infant deaths in hot cars is a public issue, have found a way to prevent this from becoming worse. They have developed an app that would serve as a car alarm system for parents and babysitters.
Phoebe Stoye and Risham Dhillon, both 18-year-old college students of Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, have come up with Chirp. The device can be simply attached to car seats for parents to be warned about leaving their baby in the car.
Chirp has a sensor technology system and Bluetooth technology that is already used in some kitchen appliances today. So, Phoebe Stoye and Risham Dhillon thought to use the same idea for their creation.
"We have a chance to use this technology to do real, tangible good," Risham Dhillon said, per the Harvard press release. Their team is still working on perfecting the device and are looking into more research work to make Chirp more viable in preventing infant deaths in hot cars.
At least 37 children die from being left inside a hot car everyday during America's warmer months. Due to the prevalence of infant deaths in hot cars, congress actually passed the Hot Cars of 2016 Act. One of its provision is to require car makers to install alarm systems in the backseat for its new vehicles.
If the parents could be negligent, then the government has to ensure that the car makers are doing something to prevent infant deaths in hot cars. CNN Money reports that General Motors is leading the move to have car seat alarm systems installed, which will be available for 2017 car models.
