Should negligent parents be punished?

teamkrejados (France)

I don't believe any prison sentence could be more tortuous to a parent who has forgotten his/her child than his/her own conscience. I don't think the threat of prison would deter any further instances of children dying in cars. Again: it is not an intentional act. The person who had the misfortune of leaving their child in the car most likely did not intend to harm their child.

What is needed is a proactive measure. The technology exists to implement security sensors in the back seat of a vehicle that would sound an alarm once the car door is opened, indicating that there is something in the back seat of a car – a package or a child. It can be as simple as a pressure sensor blanket installed under the fabric of the seat that activates as soon as it senses a measure of weight – say, that of a child.

A Chinese mother installs a child safety seat on the backseat of her car in Shanghai, China, 15 July 2013.[Photo/IC]