Kids in Hot Cars

This morning a friend of mine posted an article on social media that she had read. It was about a woman needing to place her left shoe on the seat next to her child in a car seat so she would not forget the child. A comment was made that the idea was "helpful" and that it meant the driver would not get far without a shoe, and therefore would never forget their baby. Forget their baby.

Apparently it's becoming an all to common mistake in the U.S. too. According to this Washington Post article, leaving a baby in a hot car happens 15-25 times each year in the U.S. My friend commented that "this (was) the most ridiculous thing (she had) ever heard." and I happen to agree. I simply do not understand the need to put something "important" in the backseat so a child (something important!) is not left behind. Are we THAT distracted as a society?

I have read about several inventions to help parents remember too: This one from an engineer mom, this piece of technology that texts an infant SOS, or this invention called Hot Seat developed by a teen. It still comes back to this one fact: People are leaving their infants and kids in hot cars. To die. To DIE. Why? Because they are too distracted?

What do you think of this all to common occurrence? Why is this happening?

I know that this will likely spark many comments, but please if you feel so inclined to comment, please be respectful of others commenting.