Dangerous situation: Child forgotten in car? ADAC tests warning systems

Every year, children are forgotten inside vehicles, posing a life-threatening situation when exposed to sunlight. Certain cars are equipped with built-in systems designed to detect if there are any children or animals left inside the car after it has been left parked. The ADAC conducted a study testing four different models from various manufacturers to evaluate these systems.

Two distinct Child Presence Detection systems were examined: indirect systems that assess a combination of seatbelt status, seat occupancy, and door openings, and direct systems that use radar to detect movements, like breathing, within the vehicle.

The tests included various scenarios, such as placing a dummy inside a car seat with Isofix, a seatbelt-wearing dummy, a newborn, and a one-year-old child in an Isofix car seat. Additionally, the system's ability to detect a dog on the rear seat was evaluated. The results showed that the indirect system successfully warned in all cases, but it could not reliably detect a newborn in an Isofix car seat.

Only the central display provided a warning without additional visual or auditory signals. The direct systems, however, failed to recognize the newborn dummy in the Isofix car seat despite the dummy simulating breathing movements, according to the ADAC. Most other scenarios were successfully detected, triggering a warning light after a specific period.

Two test vehicles also sounded a horn or alarm system, and one vehicle displayed a visible warning on the central display to passersby about the potential danger. Depending on the configuration, warnings can also be sent via a smartphone app.

The conclusion is that while these systems provide supplementary security, they cannot replace the responsibility of parents and caretakers. Children, babies, and animals should never be left alone in a car, especially during hot weather, as warned by the ADAC.