ATLANTA — Governor Brian Kemp will declare Friday to be "Look Again Day" to encourage parents and caregivers to check the backseat for any children.
This week, a 4-month-old baby girl died when she was left in a hot daycare van in Jacksonville, Florida. And it might have happened closer to home - in McDonough - where police officers were forced to pull a 2-year-old from a locked car in a Walmart parking lot. Officers said the windows up.
It's an unimaginable tragedy we see time-and-time again.
Last year, 52 kids died in hot cars. That's the highest number ever. So far this year, eight kids have died after being left in a hot car. Now, some members of Congress say it's time for automakers to step up.
"We would require all new vehicles to be equipped with an alert system. We don't specify a technology right now to make sure that the driver checks the backseat," said Rep. Jan Schawkowsky (D-IL).
Thursday, a Congressional subcommittee held a hearing with automakers to see if a simple fix could save countless lives. Lives like Chase Harrison.
Chase should be in middle school now. But 11 years ago, his father Miles forgot to take Chase to daycare. Several hours later, a coworker asked him if he had a doll in his backseat.
"I ripped open the car door, pulled him from the car seat, and ran into my office with him, screaming and crying and calling out for help. It was too late," Harrison said during a press conference supporting Congressional action.
Since then, Chase's parents have worked tirelessly to help prevent such horrible tragedies.
"If there had been a simple chime to alert me of my son's presence, none of this would've happened," he said.
Automakers appearing before Congress said they would carefully look into any proposed legislation.
They point out that even if every new car had a chime starting tomorrow, it would take two decades before every car on the road had the technology, since so many of us drive used vehicles.
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