July 19, 2013: Readers react to children left in cars

Make it mandatory for drivers to leave their cellphones and work bags next to their children on the back seat before starting to drive.

By JERUSALEM POST READERS
Letters 370 (photo credit: REUTERS/Handout )
Letters 370
(photo credit: REUTERS/Handout )
Readers react to children left in cars
Sir, – The shocking recurrence of toddlers being forgotten in cars, and the resulting tragedies of injury and death, (“For second time in 24 hours, toddler left in car dies,” July 16) demand effective preventive action.
I strongly endorse a suggestion I heard on Army Radio: Make it mandatory for drivers to leave their cellphones and work bags next to their children on the back seat before starting to drive.
And to this suggestion I add my own: Forbid using cellphones by drivers in any form. There is ample evidence that points to many traffic fatalities being a direct result of cellphone use while driving.
Let Israeli lawmakers think out of the box and pass legislation that will demand drivers’ total attentiveness to the road. Not only will drivers refrain from leaving their children unattended in cars, but the appalling number of traffic accidents will be dramatically reduced.DONNA TZINAMON Aseret
Sir, – The incidence of babies being left in cars increases every year. This is a tragedy of cosmic proportions that afflicts families that are left to struggle with guilt, anger, blame and self recrimination to the end of days.
The growing number of such families has created a phenomenon in this country.
The solution lies in prevention, which requires no sophisticated technology.
It can be safely assumed that every family owning a car owns a cellphone. Parents must be trained to place their phones near the baby’s car seat when entering the car. Missing a call would be a small price to pay, but forgetting a cellphone is most unlikely.BARBARA SCHIPPER Jerusalem
Sir, – After reading of two more horrific deaths of children killed by their parents’ negligence, and then reading about all the expensive, hi-tech solutions proposed to solve the problem, allow me to offer a fail-proof suggestion that is easy, lowtech and almost free.
Tie one end of a long ribbon (two meters should do) somewhere to the bottom of the child’s car-seat, and clip the other end to the driver’s collar or sleeve.
When the driver wants to exit the car, he first has to unclip the ribbon, thus reminding him to remove the child. If he forgets, he cannot move far! Such clips are available at any stationery store for a shekel or two. The ribbon remains in the car, tied to the seat and ready for use.
Simple, no?
R. RUDNITSKY Petah Tikva
Sir, – Each morning, about the time my children are about to deliver their offspring to their respective kindergartens, I send a text message asking them to kindly inform me of the safe delivery of our precious jewels. It works well and everyone’s happy.
DAVID S. ADDLEMAN Mevaseret Zion
Sir, – So we are now consumed with inventing ideas and gadgets for parents not to forget their children less they die of heat exhaustion or worse. Whatever happened to good old parenting?
STUART PILICHOWSKI Mevaseret Zion
Sir, – Jail is the only way to deter irresponsible parents from leaving a child in a car. I cannot imagine or understand how they can do that.
The Knesset must pass a law with teeth, that if any child is left in a car for any reason (30 seconds is too long!), the parents go to jail! The law must be enforced and there should be a strong ad campaign on television and in the print media reinforcing the consequences.
A. WEINBERG Rehovot
Sir, – With regard to “Reclaiming clarity” (Comment, July 16), are we human beings becoming robots run by computers, cell phones and tweets? Perhaps an intelligent chip should be implanted in our brains.
Leaving a child in a car to die is no different from involuntary manslaughter.
The perpetrators should be judged accordingly.
There is still no replacement for brains, morals and a sense of personal responsibility.
CHIEL WIND Holon