CODEY INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO HELP PROTECT CHILDREN FROM BEING LEFT BEHIND IN CARS

TRENTON– Senator Codey has introduced legislation to help protect young children from the risk of being left in a hot vehicle. The bill, S-4146, Would require a parent or guardian to notify child care centers if a child will be absent, and further requires that a child care center reach out to a parent or guardian if a child is not dropped off and they haven’t been notified.

“All too often we have seen these tragedies play out, here in New Jersey and across the county,” said Senator Codey. “We can’t prevent all of these accidents, but this legislation has the potential to save lives.”

So far in 2019, 42 children have died in hot cars. Many more suffer from near misses. In the majority of these cases, it is an unintentional mistake by a parent or guardian that causes the child to be left behind.

Just last month, a toddler died in Lindenwold, NJ when her guardian forgot to drop her off at the day care center and left her in her car seat in his van, on a day where temperatures reached the mid-80s. It wasn’t until family members went to pick her up at the day care that she was found. Earlier this summer, a New York father dropped off his older child at school and then drove to work, forgetting to drop his 1-year-old twins at their child care center. When he finished his shift at work he discovered he had left the children in the car and it was too late to save them.

“Often when babies and toddlers are left in hot cars, it is because a parent is tired, distracted, or overwhelmed. This is one way to help make sure these lapses in judgement aren’t fatal. Too many children have lost their lives, and we owe it to them to do all that we can to help prevent this from happening to any more families.”