Another baby has died in a hot car (Spain)

[comoatoupeira]

Another child has died in a horrific way after being accidentally left in a hot car.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/21/girl-dies-car-extreme-heat-spain

again, it was the father, distracted by work, who forgot to drop her off at nursery. I honesty don’t think this is a man/woman thing I think it is a work thing. In every one of this abominable stories it is someone being distracted by a work situation and they forget they haven’t dropped off the child. The article explains really well why it happens and how we need to make safeguards because we can’t rely on ourselves at all times.

distraction kills! Much more than malevolent intent.

AIBU to think that every single parent needs to read this article to realise it can happen to anyone and sometimes extreme stress and the power of habit can overcome us and cause the worst to happen
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/fatal-distraction-forgetting-a-child-in-thebackseat-of-a-car-is-a-horrifying-mistake-is-it-a-crime/2014/06/16/8ae0fe3a-f580-11e3-a3a5-42be35962a52_story.html

BE WARNED it is the most upsetting piece of writing I have ever read.

Is it though?
Not being funny, but the brain isn't exactly a well-understood machinery, so it's no wonder that many people don't know how it works.

And one could argue that it's a very natural brain-thing to believe it would never to us because living with that fear would be too hard.

No hun, it isn’t neglect or an indication of neurological illness.

Have you read the WP article?

I’m assuming not. If you have and you’re still posting like this, then you’re really embarrassing yourself.

I always used to put my handbag on the back seat so you always look the baby/ toddler even if they are asleep.

Which article?

Dangerous as hell.

Some car seat manufacturers sell a mat that is car seat safe and will send an alert to your phone if the child is still sat on it.

Lots of people.

You go on automatic pilot. When I was a child there were many stories of new mums leaving babies in prams outside shops.

Now people are in cars.

I think rather than just putting something on the back seat, put it in the child seat.

There should be a simple device that weighs the content of the baby seat and beeps / flashes lights if / when you turn the engine off.

@JuneFromBethesda Never mind, I see it now!

Just to say again, the article is very upsetting, I remember exactly where I was when I read it ten years ago, and was in a weird place for days afterwards.
I haven't read it again but I remember all the details.
It's a lovely sunny evening, just to say, don't click lightly.

That WP article is horrendous. Page after page of tragic testimony of dc suffering the most awful deaths.

There's only one 'expert' comment from a psychologist 'EdHickling is a clinical psychologist from Albany, N.Y., who has studied the effects of fatal auto accidents on the drivers who survive them. He says these people are often judged with disproportionate harshness by the public. I mean, yes they are.

Not much else other than lots of very overly long descriptions about circumstances, various cases and the conclusion seeming to be there wasnt a common thread just parents tragically forgetting about their kids but no expert analysis.

All tragic yes, but describing someone's 'soft eyes' and body sizes as the article writer does all seemed so inappropriate.

I just assume that anything could happen to me too. I probably stay more vigilant that way.

Don’t be silly!!!! Putting your handbag in the footwell is fine.

Thank you for this OP. I couldn't access the original link either.

I read a book on my kindle recently. A work of fiction, but the tragedy of a working mum who left her baby in the car was central to the story.

Horrific and unthinkable for all involved in cases like this. Unlike some on here, I cannot help but feel deep sorrow for the parent responsible.

With how busy and unforgiving the working life of parents are, I am surprised these cases are, mercifully, rare.

This is a very good idea!

Why?

I couldn’t open the WP article even with my email address.

Found it elsewhere I think if anyone else needs it. Hope this link works.

mitchellhamline.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2012/01/Fatal-Distraction.pdf

It could happen to any one of us. The people that are adamant it couldn't happen to them, are deluding themselves. Swiss Cheese Theory proves this. The way the human body and brain respond to routine and stress prove it.

I once left my dog outside a shop, many years ago. I didn’t often take him with me, I had left via a different exit so didn’t see him, and although I’d been in the shop only briefly, I walked the twenty minutes home before I realised what I’d done. Thankfully he was still there. (My friend did the same and her dog had enough time to chew through her lead and come home by herself).
I had a lot on my mind, I’d done something out of my normal routine, and I went into autopilot. DH does this fairly often, he drives his normal route rather than the way we are going, that sort of thing.
I can see how this can happen, so the advice to always leave your bag next to the baby is really good. Build that into your routine, if you don’t have a bag leave your phone, or jacket. Always put the baby seat on the opposite side to the driver so easier to see . Practical things that might help. The consequences can be so terrible that it does need more publicity. I wonder how many times this happens but the child survives ? In mild weather for instance, the baby would be distressed and possibly dehydrated but otherwise alright.

This whole concept is just terrifying. I'm a scatter-brain and am forgetful. I can totally see myself forgetting that a sleeping baby in a rear-facing car seat is there. Luckily, I don't have kids and am post-menopause.

There but for the grace of God go I.

Well what/who are you "furious" with though? I guess blaming climate change is as good as blaming anything.

Of course my primary sympathy is with the child, but the indescribable anguish the parents must be going through is also unthinkable. I am only glad for the child it was relatively short-lived.

My brother once left his car at the shop!!!

Hes intelligent as they come, but always walked to this shop. One day he drove because it was pouring with rain, left the shop with his car keys in hand and still managed to forget!

If you think losing your glasses or your keys mean someone has a problem then that’s weird on you. Surely you must realise that being someone that has never lost your keys or glasses makes you The unusual one.

And no babies are not keys or glasses But you’ve demonstrated that you are unusual in the degree of which you don’t forget things

People don’t forget their children exist, but they get onto autopilot. They get out of routine especially when they have some unexpected interruption to their routine.

on occasion, I have completely forget to take my morning medication because I have a routine and if something interrupts me somewhere in that process, I have been known to completely forget to take my medication

My late mother-in-law left my husband in a pram outside the shop

This was in the 1960s She walked home got home realised panicked and ran back and he was still there in the pram outside the shop

She was not a lunatic She didn’t have a brain problem. There are countless people Who have been on mumsnet who have said that they’ve forgotten to pick the kids up from school or they have left their handbag on a bus or have themselves left an infant in the car fortunately not to the point of tragedy

It’s not as weird as you make it sound

There are a few car seats that now have technology to notify if a child has been left behind. Hopefully all will come as standard in the near future. However it does rely on parents linking it to their phones/watches and having their phones/watches and reacting to it.

Last night we had transition meeting evening at my DD's new high school, we'd planned to take younger DS with us but at the last minute my sister offered to have him so he stayed behind. Went through the whole tour/talks from teachers etc then as we were walking out to the car after I had a moment of blind panic looking in the crowd asking my husband 'where's DS', because my brain expected him to be there then couldn't find him, I honestly thought for a second we'd lost him in the school even though I'd seen him leave our house with his aunt before we went.

I can see how it happens, a small disruption in plans or routine where maybe mum would normally drop the child but today dad has to, child is quiet/asleep in the car, an unexpected phone call causes them to be distracted...Swiss cheese model kicks in and tragedy happens. My heart goes out to the parents.