US has one of the worst statistics when it comes to childrens forgotten in the car. No wonder, about half of the children under age 14 who die of in-vehicle heatstroke do so as a result of being forgotten. Also, items left in the back seat are a target for theft. Nearly 23 percent of larceny in 2014 was from a motor vehicle, according to the FBI.
In order to address this recent trend, GMC is introducing on the 2017 Acadia an industry dirst: the Rear Seat Reminder.
The Rear Seat Reminder works by monitoring the Acadia’s rear doors. The feature is intended to activate when either rear door is opened and closed within 10 minutes before the vehicle is started, or if they are opened and closed while the vehicle is running. Under these circumstances, the next time the vehicle is turned off after a door activation, the Acadia is designed to sound five audible chimes and display a message in the driver information center that reads, “Rear Seat Reminder/Look in Rear Seat.”
The feature cannot detect items in the backseat, so it is always important to check the rear seat prior to exiting the vehicle.
“General Motors has developed a new technology for the GMC Acadia, the Rear Seat Reminder, to give busy parents an important reminder to check the back seat before leaving the car,” said Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. “Technology alone cannot solve the issue of heatstroke when it comes to young children, but this new Acadia reminder can help. We must always remember that the safest way to protect a child from heatstroke is to never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.”
The industry-first feature is a standard feature on the all-new 2017 Acadia.
