How Hyundai wants to end heatstroke deaths in cars

By dpa | 5 August 2019


FRANKFURT: It's the kind of story that makes headlines at least once every time a heatwave hits: a child or pet has died after being left in a car for too long.

To help prevent such tragedies in future, Hyundai plans to equip all new cars with warning systems that alert drivers to their backseat passengers by 2022 when leaving the car.

It sounds simple, but the hope is that the Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) door-logic system can be an effective way to prevent child deaths from heatstroke in vehicles.

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The South-Korean manufacturer has demonstrated how the system detects if a rear door was opened or closed before the car was started, and then reminds the driver to check the rear seat with a message before exiting the vehicle.

On top of this, they have also developed an Ultrasonic Rear Occupant Alert, to give extra protection to undetected passengers, as an added option for drivers.

This system uses an ultrasonic sensor to detect the movements of children and pets in the rear after the drivers have left the car.

If the system detects a movement after the driver has left the vehicle and locked the doors, it will beep the horn and send an alert to the driver’s smartphone.

“It also helps in case children accidentally lock themselves in,” said Mike O'Brien of Hyundai Motor America. The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Palisade SUVs are already available with door-logic ROA as standard, and Ultrasonic ROA as an optional extra.

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