The death of a child is always a tragedy, but the tragedy becomes more complex when the reasons for their untimely passing, are the often well-meaning, yet distracted parents.
In 2019, 53 children died from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle, according to KidsandCars.org. This multitude of deaths prompted Michael Braunold, CEO of Elepho, and his team to search for an affordable technology built to prevent these tragedies. Braunold's successful Kickstarter campaign raised $50,000 to support their efforts to create a "baby car alarm" made to prevent another 50 infants from suffering the same untimely fate. Shortly after the launch of the Elepho campaign, Congress passed the Hot Car Act of 2017, requiring all new vehicles to have a "child safety alert system." This mandate transformed the public's perception of the importance of this kind of technology; from an elusive luxury to a necessary child safety instrument.
A Lack of Public Empathy
Most recently, the phenomenon made headlines after a depiction in Shyamalan's Apple TV hit, Servant, shows a family sick with grief, after the death of their infant son, Jericho. His death was brought on by his well-meaning mother's mistake, who forgot him in her car for hours on a scalding-hot Philly summer afternoon.
The gruesome premise of Servant catapulted a wave of criticisms aimed at Dorothy, the infant's mother, who fans believed whole-heartedly was a "careless parent." The following fan came to Dorothy's defense on Reddit, amidst a sea of critical comments:
Although the masses' shock and horror when faced with this gruesome instance are understandable on the surface, the research on the subject suggests the sentiments are mainly fueled by ignorance. The compiled statistics would lend a more compassionate lens on just how often this can happen.
Figure 1. CDC research reports that 35% of motor vehicle deaths are a result of being left in a hot car.
Kids and Cars is an organization dedicated to giving a voice the silent majority of children who die of motor vehicle-related heatstroke. So far in 2020, 21 children have died as a result of "Forgotten Baby Syndrome." Overworked and sleep-deprived parents of children under the age of 5 are the most likely to have a slip of the mind turn in a fatal, and irreversible mistake.
Preventing A Tragedy
"If you walk approximately 25 feet from the car, even if you're on the phone, an alert will break into your call and say please check your child, please check that you've got your child with you." - Michael Braunold, CEO of Elepho.
The Elepho eClip is a device that forces consumers to face an uncomfortable truth: you may be trying your best, but we all make mistakes. Elepho wants to make sure fewer families succumb to the awful reality and unbearable guilt that comes with losing a child to a preventable tragedy.
