Lawmakers urged to make baby-reminder devices mandatory

Eric Leake

Friday, March 7, 2003 | 9:21 a.m.

Because babies left in car seats cannot speak for themselves, Sandy Blake-Toles invented a device to speak for them.

The Las Vegas pastor urged lawmakers in Carson City Thursday to require her "Remember Baby" system for all children riding in car seats to try to save them from possible death in the summer heat.

"Nobody does anything unless something happens. We've had something drastic happen, babies cooked in cars," said Robert Toles, the inventor's husband.

"We require seat belts. What good do seat belts do if your baby is left in the car?" he told the Assembly Transportation Committee.

Toles' testimony was part of a committee hearing on two proposed bills. Assembly Bill 120, sponsored by Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, would require baby-reminder devices to accompany all children in child seats by October 2004. The other bill discussed Thursday by the committee would strengthen state safety belt regulations.

Blake-Toles, pastor of the nondenominational Love Center Unlimited Christian church, said God inspired her to invent the Remember Baby baby device after she read about a local infant's death in the heat.

With the help of a community college automotive instructor, Blake-Toles developed a pressure-sensitive alarm that affixes to a child's car seat. When the car is turned off, the device repeats a reminder in English and Spanish until the child is removed.

Many committee members said that although they liked the general concept of the baby reminder, they were wary of requiring all parents to buy such a device when the great majority do not forget their babies.

"My concern about this is for the parents who are not forgetful," said Assemblyman Kelvin Atkinson, D-North Las Vegas. "Requiring it and making it a mandate involves way too much.

"I know the day gets busy and we all have important things in our lives, but I can't imagine that. I can't imagine leaving my child in the car."

Committee Chairwoman Vonne Chowning, D-North Las Vegas, said she too was concerned about the cost to parents, and that she imagines some sort of alert will eventually be built in to car seats.

"I'm here today as a voice for babies and toddlers who did not reach their first, second or third birthday," Blake-Toles said. "Please consider a device; it doesn't have to be this device, but a device."

Remember Baby is in testing stages and would cost about $40, Blake-Toles said. It should become available in select stores this summer. NASA and others are developing similar devices, she said.

Forgetting a child in a car is an easy thing to do, Wanda Beckett testified. She said she has left her own child in a car when running quick errands.

"I don't see many children being carted into the gas station when we're in a hurry," said Beckett, who ministers with Blake-Toles.

According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, between 1996 and 2000 more than 130 children died nationally from heat stroke after being trapped in cars.

The other bill discussed by the committee Thursday, Assembly Bill 161, would make it a primary offense for anybody under 18 years old to be riding without a seat belt. Seat belts are already required by state law, but as secondary offenses, citable only if a car is pulled over for another reason. In other states, police can pull over any drivers if they see that they are not wearing seat belts.