New tech to save kids from hot cars

One manufacturer has come up with a genius idea that could reduce the number of avoidable deaths of young children in vehicles.

The push to save kids from being trapped in hot cars will shift into top gear in 2023, when new safety standards and fresh tech hit the road.

Volvo says it will be the first car maker to equip vehicles with radars mounted on the ceiling of the car that can detect the breathing of children or pets, and sound the alarm if they are locked inside.

And the ANCAP car safety body is introducing new standards that will push manufacturers to equip cars with “child presence detection” features.

Volvo’s interior radars will give it an edge over family-friendly SUV rivals.

The tech could include the ability to warn drivers of a child left in a car by automatically honking the horn or sending alerts with a smartphone app and possibly take further action by activating air conditioning and calling emergency services.

Volvo spokeswoman Lotta Jakobsson, a senior technical specialist for injury prevention, says the Swedish brand will include some of those features in the new Volvo “EX90” set to be revealed in coming weeks.

Volvo spokeswoman Lotta Jakobsson, a senior technical specialist for injury prevention.

“We know you would never purposefully put your kids or pets at risk in a hot car, and yet we see heat related deaths with occupants left behind in cars,” she said.

“We want to be a second pair of eyes to help you when you’re not at your best.

“We plan to be the first car maker to introduce an interior radar system that covers the entire cabin to help prevent children or pets from being left behind.”

The technology will debut in an electric successor to the Volvo XC90 (pictured).

The system is specially designed to detect the movement of a person or animal breathing. If the driver opens their door, gets out and locks the car, the Volvo will keep the doors unlocked and display an alert on the centre infotainment screen.

The car’s climate control will stay on whenever people or pets are in the car, and will eventually be linked to Volvo’s smartphone app.

The carmaker says more than 900 American kids have died locked in cars since 1998. Kidsafe Australia reports that 5000 children are locked in cars each year. At least 10 Australian children have died locked in cars in the past five years or so.

Originally published as New tech to save kids from hot cars