Around the world, dozens of children die every year, because they are "forgotten" in closed cars, while temperatures outside reach maximum levels.

And Tuesday marked the 14th hot car death in the US this year, a number that is feared to rise as heat waves continue across the country.

But these tragic deaths are 100% preventable "if we can use a little technology to help," said Janette Fennell, founder and president of Kids and Car Safety, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing child injuries and deaths. from vehicle-related incidents.

Fennell has been sounding the alarm about such deaths for more than 15 years, Telegraph reports.

"We have begged the automotive industry to do something," she said.

"It is a difficult battle.

But we are on the verge of things that must happen".

For Fennell, that means vehicles turning on their lights and sending text alerts to drivers — even nearby strangers — that a child has been accidentally left in the back seat or snuck into a vehicle.

"You tend to remember to check the tire pressure, turn off the lights, get the key," she argued.

"To put an end to these horrific fatalities, we need to be able to detect when there is a living being trapped in a vehicle and alert anyone who can come to their aid."

And vehicle manufacturers have been researching various technologies for decades, of course, foreign media write, Telegraph reports.

Ed Kim, president and principal analyst at automotive consulting firm AutoPacific, said General Motors deserves credit for being the first automaker to address the "rear seat warning issue" in 2001.

"Market research shows that safety is some of the most important things to consumers when buying a vehicle," Kim told ABC News.

Therefore, many vehicles now feature safety alerts.

But some of the technology can be turned off manually, raising concerns that drivers could become indifferent to it.

However, Simon Roberts, a father of two young children and an engineer at Toyota Connected North America, said Toyota has been working aggressively toward a solution to the problem, a problem that is becoming more dangerous every year as temperatures rise.

In May, the Japanese automaker introduced its "Cabin Awareness" concept, which is currently undergoing real-world testing with May Mobility, an autonomous vehicle company.

The concept in question deploys "4D imaging radar" to determine if a person or pet has been left behind in a closed vehicle.

According to Toyota, the head-mounted device can detect a life form even after a driver exits.

Toyota says its "Cabin Awareness" technology can help prevent deaths from heatstroke by alerting drivers to passengers left behind.

If a child or pet is locked inside, warning signals will light up in the instrument cluster.

The vehicle will make noises and the driver can receive notifications through the Toyota app as well as text messages, the company said.

Additionally, the technology can send alerts through smart home devices or send text messages to designated emergency contacts.

Roberts said the team is also exploring vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications to capture the attention of passersby.

The engineering team was inspired by a microwave radar technology developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory that was able to detect human breathing and heartbeats under more than 30 meters of rubble after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal in 2015.

"Even good people can make mistakes, and it can happen to any of us," Roberts said.

"This is a big issue that we have to solve."

Roberts noted that opening the windows in a closed car can still cause heatstroke and death for the passengers inside.

The 2020 model year Palisade SUV was the first Hyundai vehicle to offer ultrasonic sensor technology

Korean automaker Hyundai also debuted its Ultrasonic Rear Occupant Alert sensor on the Palisade SUV for the 2020 model year.

Sophisticated sensor-based alerting that flashes flashing lights, sounds the horn and sends a text message – “advising” the driver to check the back seat immediately.

Although Ultrasonic technology is only available on select models at the moment, a Hyundai spokesperson said a Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) system comes standard on 99% of the company's vehicles.

When the driver closes the vehicle, a "check the back seat sign" appears on the instrument panel.

"We're trying to be pioneers in this space," Brian Latouf, chief safety officer of Hyundai Motor America North, told ABC News.

"We are paying attention to this issue and messaging and communications are important."

Meanwhile, electric car maker Tesla also launched "Dog Mode" in 2019 so that owners could keep their pets in an air-conditioned cabin while the vehicle was unattended.

A message on the big screen says "My owner will be back soon" and shows the temperature inside.

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Kim, like Fennell, said these alerts — while mostly helpful — can make drivers resent the constant warnings.

Current technology can also desensitize drivers to real emergencies and create liabilities for companies.

"Of course there is a danger if a warning becomes so routine that you start to ignore it.

This is definitely a concern," Kim thinks.

"There are people who will get so used to the warning that it becomes meaningless and they no longer pay attention."

However, he added: "Having the alarm is better than not having it, and the feature doesn't cost a lot for an automaker to implement."

Brian Moody, executive editor of Kelley Blue Book, said these warning systems add an "extra level of sophistication" to the vehicle and are an important selling point.

The biggest debate may be whether automakers are liable if alarm technology fails in a car with children and pets inside, he said.

"At some level there has to be personal responsibility," Moody believes.

So there are other ways to prevent such deaths without technology: teach children to honk if they get stuck inside, or put an important item in the back as a "distraction".

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