"It's Called a Fundamental Attribution Error" Says Mom Whose Toddler Died in Hot Car

Less than two months after Lindsey Rogers-Seitz's 15-month-old son, Benjamin, died of hyperthermia after being left in his father's car all day, the mother is issuing a warning to all parents and pushing for technological safeguards that would prevent future tragedies.

Benjamin Seitz died on July 7 after his father forgot to drop him off at daycare, instead driving straight to work and not realizing his mistake until he went to pick his son up at the end of the day. The temperature that day reached 90 degrees and humidity was high. Appearing on Today this morning, Rogers-Seitz said, "Unfortunately, we really are proof that it can happen to any American. To all the listeners, we could be you, your best friend, your parent, the neighbor down the street."

This year, at least 24 children have died of hot-car-related incidents. Rogers-Seitz is calling on car manufacturers to install devices that alert drivers when interior temperatures reach a certain number. Regarding parents who say they would never forget their child in the car, Rogers-Seitz says,

"It's called a fundamental attribution error. It's a psychological term, and what I ask those parents to do is answer the question: have you ever driven to work and forgotten how you've got there? Have you ever walked through your living room to your bedroom and forgot what you were going to get? It can happen in a second and your life is changed forever. It's a tragedy."

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