SAMPLE SUPPORT LETTER (The Hot Cars Act, HR 3593)
How to contact your U.S. Representative:
CLICK HERE to find your U.S. Representative
Go to your U.S. Representative’s website and use their contact form to send them the letter below – you may copy & paste the below sample letter and personalize it how you see fit
Follow up with a phone call to their office to make sure they received your letter.
Follow up with a phone call or another email to them if you don’t hear back within a few days. Be sure to tell them you are a constituent calling about the Hot Cars Act and requesting your Representative to co-sponsor the bill.
Persistence pays off! Keep calling and writing until you get an answer and ask others to do the same.
Subject: Request to cosponsor the Hot Cars Act of 2019
Dear Representative _____________,
I am writing to you about a tragic, yet solvable, problem which we need your leadership to resolve. Over 940 children have died in hot cars since 1990, including children right here in our state. The last two years have been the worst years in history for children dying in hot cars with over 100 little lives lost.
Additionally, well over 100 pets died in hot cars over the past two years.
This problem will continue until existing technology to detect and alert of a child or pet’s presence inside a parked vehicle is installed in all vehicles – because no one thinks this could happen to them.
On June 28, 2019, the Hot Cars Act of 2019 (H.R. 3593) was introduced in the House by Representatives Tim Ryan (D-OH), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Peter King (R-NY). The Hot Cars Act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on July 1, 2020 as a part of the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2).
Automakers have announced a voluntary commitment to add alerts in new cars to inform the driver that they had opened the back door of their vehicle prior to their departure. The proposed voluntary measure falls short of what’s truly needed: detection technology. Child safety advocates believe alerts alone that sound every time drivers exit vehicles, whether the back seat is occupied or vacant, eventually become too familiar, and we tune them out.
The Hot Cars Act (H.R. 3593) is a commonsense bill that requires the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue a final rule for technology to be included as standard equipment in all vehicles that could detect the presence of a child or animal and warn the driver and bystanders. It sets a reasonable deadline for agency action.
Can we count on you to cosponsor this lifesaving bill?
Detection systems in cars are already used for seat belts, airbags and anti-theft features. There are systems available that could detect passengers as well as replace the previously mentioned systems, which could actually save automakers money. These systems are readily available and cost efficient.
This bill is supported by leading national public health, safety, consumer, law enforcement, animal care and welfare organizations.
After 20 years of educating the public and with awareness at an all-time high, the number of children dying in hot cars continues to rise. Technology in all vehicles is critical to prevention. We urge you to cosponsor this lifesaving bill to prevent children and animals from being needlessly killed and injured when left alone in vehicles.
Thank you for your consideration of cosponsoring the Hot Cars Act. With your leadership and support these needless and tragic deaths can be curtailed.
Sincerely,
Your Name Address Phone number Email