Trophy Nissan Collision Center

New GM Car Features Rear Seat Reminder

Whether you’re rushing to get to work, home or another destination, as a busy driver, it’s not uncommon to get distracted and forget what’s in the backseat. It may be your lunch, work-related materials, a pet or even a sleeping child. It’s surprising, but even great parents and caregivers have forgotten a child in the car.  

We always like to share automotive blogs about child's safety when we can here at Trophy Nissan Collision Center, so here is some encouraging news about a new, cutting-edge technology that can save children's lives.

General Motors (GM) is addressing this issue with its introduction of the Rear Seat Reminder. This unique feature is reportedly an industry-first and reminds a driver to check the back seat before locking up and exiting the vehicle.

The car manufacturer first introduced this feature last year on the 2017 GMC Acadia. The Rear Seat Reminder cannot detect passengers or items in the backseat. Instead, it monitors the vehicle’s rear doors.

When the rear doors open and close within 10 minutes before the sports utility vehicle is started, the Rear Seat Reminder is activated. The next time the vehicle is turned off, five chimes go off and the driver receives a message in the car’s instrument panel to look in the backseat.

It is only active once each time the car is turned on and off and may activate even if there is nothing in the backseat.

GM said that the feature was designed with families in mind and the new technology helps drivers remember to always check the backseat, especially for children.

One of the company’s motivating factors to include this new technology was the latest statistics on heatstroke. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said that heat stroke is one of the leading causes of death among children.

According to Jan Null, CCM, from San Jose State University, half of the infants and children who die of heatstroke while in vehicles were accidentally forgotten.

The technology can also help decrease the number of items left in the backseat, which can be a target for theft. According to the FBI, nearly 23 percent of larceny in 2014 was from a motor vehicle, illustrating a problem that is evident here in Mesquite, TX and nationwide.

This year, GM is expected to include the Rear Seat Reminder in additional models, including:

2017 Vehicles:

• Buick Lacrosse
• Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV
• Cadillac CT6
• Chevrolet Cruze and Cruze Hatchback  
• Chevrolet Malibu
• Chevrolet Tahoe
• Chevrolet Suburban
• Chevrolet Silverado
• Chevrolet Colorado
• GMC Yukon
• GMC Yukon XL
• GMC Sierra
• GMC Canyon

2018 Vehicles:

• Cadillac XT5
• Cadillac CTS and CTS-V  
• Cadillac ATS
• Chevrolet Equinox

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Sources: NHTSA, General Motors, USA Today