Every summer brings a wonderful opportunity for families to enjoy the warmth and sunshine, but it also highlights the importance of keeping children safe in vehicles. In the United States, an average of 37 children lose their lives in hot cars each summer, a statistic reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This translates to a heartbreaking two children each week during the warmer months.

A significant portion of these tragedies occurs when caregivers inadvertently forget their little ones in the car, with over half of the incidents affecting children under the age of 2. The website noheatstroke.org informs us that since 1998, 1,016 children have died in hot cars due to Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke, emphasizing that every one of these deaths could have been prevented.

Inspired by these sobering statistics, three Louisiana State University engineering students—Victoria Irondi, Nnamdi Dike, and Trevor Perrault—felt a calling to make a difference. Upon discovering the impact of these incidents on families, they were determined to create a solution to help safeguard precious lives.

What began as a capstone project for their graduation transformed into a hopeful innovation aimed at preventing such tragedies. The students developed a smart alert system equipped with weight and proximity sensors that can detect when a child is left unattended in a vehicle.

“When the caregiver moves too far away while the child is still inside, the system sounds an alarm and sends a Bluetooth alert to a fob device, with the possibility of expanding into further notifications,” explained Irondi.

The project also held personal significance for the team, as their sponsor, David Jenks, had a close family friend who tragically lost their baby the previous summer. “This project was not just an academic challenge; it was a deeply personal and emotional journey,” Dike shared.

With Jenks' support, the team met regularly, collaborated on coding, built prototypes, and iteratively improved their design based on testing feedback. Their dedication and teamwork bore fruit when they were honored earlier this month by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and the Louisiana Passenger Safety Task Force. At the annual Child Passenger Safety Conference, they received accolades from leaders in the field, recognizing their remarkable contribution.

“We’re proud to have created something that honors the families affected by this issue,” Perrault expressed, “and we are excited about the potential impact this device can have in making vehicles safer for children.”

Having graduated this May, the students are now focused on refining their prototype. They aim to enhance sensor reliability, reduce power consumption, and create a more compact design for easier integration into commercial car seats. Irondi emphasized their eagerness to seek partnerships for mass production or present their design to companies specializing in child safety products. “Our device is a practical, affordable tool that can make a difference in every life,” she said.

The capstone initiative illustrates the incredible potential of student innovation to transform into meaningful real-world solutions, providing future engineers with hands-on experience while addressing critical societal needs.

As summer temperatures rise, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration encourages everyone to take precautions. If you see a child alone in a vehicle, check to ensure they are okay and responsive. If they are not, call 911 immediately. If the child appears to be in distress and unresponsive, take action to assist them, even if it means breaking a window. Many states have “Good Samaritan” laws that protect those who intervene in emergencies.

Through awareness and proactive measures, we can work together to create a safer environment for our children during the beautiful summer months.