With summer approaching, it’s important for parents to be especially cautious to prevent hot car injuries and deaths. Last year, hot car deaths nearly doubled from 24 in 2015 to 38. Seven children have already died in hot cars in 2017.
After a baby died in a hot minivan near his family’s home, 10-year-old inventor Bishop Curry V was inspired to create a device to help prevent hot car deaths. With a one-year-old sister himself, he knew babies could be very quiet, and could see how a parent could forget.
Curry V’s “Oasis” device is currently in the design phase. The Oasis would attach to a car seat, detect if a child is left inside the vehicle and then blow cool air until parents and authorities are notified. Curry V holds a provisional patent on his invention. His father, Bishop Curry IV, who works at Toyota says that the company has taken notice of the young inventor’s design.
Making Oasis Device a Reality
Curry V’s father set up a GoFundMe page earlier this year to raise money to support his son’s invention. The page has already achieved its goal to raise money to meet with attorneys, prototyping fees, and identifying a manufacturer.
When asked by local reporters how he’d feel if his invention came to life, Curry V responded: “I’d be like, ’What? I’d probably pinch myself to see if I was dreaming.”
It may be a long way off before this device makes it into the public, but we love the effort the Bishop Curry V and his family have put forth in an attempt to raise awareness and reduce hot car deaths.
Tips & Tricks to Remember your Kids
Until helpful inventions like this come to fruition, the attorneys at Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers encourage parents to stay vigilant when travelling with young children.
It’s easy to say you’d never be the type of parent to forget your children, but there is no “type.” Pediatricians, stay-at-home moms, cashiers, and attorneys have forgotten children on their way to work or while running an errand.
If you have young children, find a reminder that works for your family. Whether it’s keeping one shoe in the backseat, or using an app, we urge St. Louis parents to do what they can to keep kids safe–especially in this hot weather.
