Remote car monitoring is moving into the baby arena, where one manufacturer has equipped a car seat with a monitoring system that will send alerts to a parent’s smartphone. Alerts will include improper installation, seat unbuckling, car temperature and — the big one — whether a baby has been left in the seat when the car isn’t in motion.
The Washington Post won a Pulitzer Price for its haunting investigation into the annual summertime tragedies of parents forgetting they have left their children in hot cars. Among the theorized causes is the trend of leaving children rear facing in the car – a fairly new practice that, while encouraged, may increase the risk of leaving a child in the car.
The TOMY IAlert system, under The First Years brand, is installed into a convertible car seat that can be used until a child reaches 65 pounds. The app will be compatible with both iPhones and Android smartphones. There is no price set yet, but one can imagine in a world of $1,100 strollers and $500 highchairs (not to mention the baby spas and whirlpools) that there will certainly be a market for this.
