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GM offers 'Rear Seat Reminder' on a growing number of vehicles
If you have children or pets, it might be hard to imagine accidentally leaving them in your car, but sadly, people do. This year alone, 39 children have died from heatstroke in vehicles--either because they were left in cars accidentally or because they got into a vehicle when adults weren't around.
General Motors has developed technology to address this problem. For obvious reasons, it's called "Rear Seat Reminder".
ALSO SEE: General Motors introduces 9-speed automatic to take over for 6-speed
Technically speaking, the system doesn't identify objects or passengers in the rear seat like front passenger detection systems do. Instead, Rear Seat Reminder is activated when it senses that the rear door of a vehicle has opened.
If the car is started within 10 minutes of the door opening, or if the door is opened while the engine is running, the system fully engages. It will then play a series of chimes and display a message on the dashboard that urges drivers to check their backseats when the engine is next turned off.
CHECK OUT: 2017 Honda Ridgeline vs. 2017 Chevrolet Colorado: Compare Trucks
Rear Seat Reminder debuted earlier this year on the 2017 GMC Acadia. Over the course of 2017, however, it's slated to appear on many more GM models from both the 2017 and 2018 model years, including:
- 2017 Buick Lacrosse
- 2017 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV
- 2017 Cadillac CT6
- 2017 Chevrolet Cruze and Cruze Hatchback
- 2017 Chevrolet Malibu
- 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2017 Chevrolet Suburban
- 2017 Chevrolet Silverado
- 2017 Chevrolet Colorado
- 2017 GMC Yukon
- 2017 GMC Yukon XL
- 2017 GMC Sierra
- 2017 GMC Canyon
- 2018 Cadillac XT5
- 2018 Cadillac CTS and CTS-V
- 2018 Cadillac ATS
- 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
If you have children or pets, it might be hard to imagine accidentally leaving them in your car, but sadly, people do. This year alone, 39 children have died from heatstroke in vehicles--either because they were left in cars accidentally or because they got into a vehicle when adults weren't around.
General Motors has developed technology to address this problem. For obvious reasons, it's called "Rear Seat Reminder".
ALSO SEE: General Motors introduces 9-speed automatic to take over for 6-speed
Technically speaking, the system doesn't identify objects or passengers in the rear seat like front passenger detection systems do. Instead, Rear Seat Reminder is activated when it senses that the rear door of a vehicle has opened.
If the car is started within 10 minutes of the door opening, or if the door is opened while the engine is running, the system fully engages. It will then play a series of chimes and display a message on the dashboard that urges drivers to check their backseats when the engine is next turned off.
CHECK OUT: 2017 Honda Ridgeline vs. 2017 Chevrolet Colorado: Compare Trucks
Rear Seat Reminder debuted earlier this year on the 2017 GMC Acadia. Over the course of 2017, however, it's slated to appear on many more GM models from both the 2017 and 2018 model years, including:
2017 Buick Lacrosse
2017 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV
2017 Cadillac CT6
2017 Chevrolet Cruze and Cruze Hatchback
2017 Chevrolet Malibu
2017 Chevrolet Tahoe
2017 Chevrolet Suburban
2017 Chevrolet Silverado
2017 Chevrolet Colorado
2017 GMC Yukon
2017 GMC Yukon XL
2017 GMC Sierra
2017 GMC Canyon
2018 Cadillac XT5
2018 Cadillac CTS and CTS-V
2018 Cadillac ATS
2018 Chevrolet Equinox
In a sad irony (which we can only hope was unintentional), the news of Rear Seat Reminder's expanded availability comes the day after Justin Ross Harris was sentenced to life in prison for intentionally killing his 22-month-old son by leaving him in a hot car in 2014.
