Hyundai Motor announced this week a new rear occupant alert technology that uses ultrasonic sensors to help detect the movements of children and reminds drivers to check the rear seats prior to exiting the vehicle with a message on its cluster display.
Should the system detect movement in the back seats after a driver exits, the vehicle’s horn will sound and lights will flash via the company’s Blue Link connected car system. Hyundai also announced that it has plans to deploy newer rear occupant detection technology to be used in the event of a child inadvertently locking themselves inside the vehicle in 2019 models.
In 2017, a total of 38 children have died from heatstroke in the United States due to being left in the backseat of a car. More than 800 children have died since 1994, with approximately 55 percent of parents being unaware their child was even in the backseat.
“The Rear Occupant Alert is just another example of how we do things better at Hyundai,” Mike O’Brien, vice president of Product, Corporate and Digital Planning at Hyundai Motor America, said. “This system is a first step in preventing tragedies. We understand only a brief lapse in judgment and inattention can have terrible consequences.”