The death of Cooper Harris in Cobb County is bringing more attention to the issue of kids who are left locked in hot cars.
The Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and KidsAndCars.org are teaming up to petition the White House to authorize research technologies that could prevent children from being left in hot cars.
They need to gather 100,000 signatures by August 12 to push President Barack Obama to authorize federal officials to research technology that could detect a child left alone in an unattended vehicle. The petition is hosted on the White House's "We The People" website.
• Provide funding for research and development of innovative technology.
Specifically, the petition urges the Obama Administration to authorize the Department of Transportation to:
• Identify, evaluate and test new technology to accelerate implementation of the most feasible and effective solutions.
• Require installation of technology in ALL vehicles and/or child safety seats to prevent children from being left alone in vehicles.
“The auto industry already recognizes we're human and our memories often fail us,” explains Janette Fennell, founder and president of KidsAndCars.org. “If you forget your keys in the ignition, you get a warning. If a child is left behind, you absolutely need a warning. The federal government and automakers have the ability to solve this problem, and we need action now.”
In the past 20 years, more than 670 children have died in hot cars in the United States.