CD&V Proposes Mandatory Baby Alarms After Hot Car Deaths

A 3-year-old child has died after being left alone in an overheated car in northern France, the second such tragedy in as many days as an exceptional heatwave sweeps across Europe. In response, Belgium’s Christian-democratic CD&V party has announced plans to introduce federal legislation mandating anti-abandonment alarm systems in vehicles, following a precedent set by Italy in 2019.

The latest incident occurred on June 24 in Saint Gratien, Val d’Oise, where the toddler was found by their parents in the car parked in front of their home, according to VRT NWS. Just one day earlier, two children aged 2 and 4 were found dead in a parked car in Carpentras, southern France, where temperatures had reached nearly 40 degrees Celsius. The mother had reportedly forgotten them while grocery shopping, and the public prosecutor cited the heatwave as the most likely cause of death.

Heatwave Creates Deadly Conditions

France is in the grip of an exceptional heatwave, with temperatures reaching 40 to 42 degrees Celsius. On June 23, the country recorded its hottest day ever measured, with an average temperature of 29.9 degrees Celsius including nighttime readings. Code red — the highest alert level — is currently in effect across 72 French departments, affecting 51 million people.

As VRT NWS reported, the heatwave is affecting large parts of Europe, with Spain recording its hottest June days since 1950 and Italy placing 15 cities under code red. The World Health Organization estimates approximately 500,000 heat-related deaths occur globally each year.

The danger inside parked vehicles is particularly acute. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, at an outside temperature of just 21 degrees Celsius, a car’s interior can reach 40 degrees or more within 30 minutes. Babies and young children overheat up to five times faster than adults, making them especially vulnerable.

CD&V Calls for Mandatory Anti-Abandonment Systems

CD&V Member of Parliament Tine Gielis announced on June 25 that her party will submit a federal bill to mandate “anti-abandonment” systems in vehicles. The devices attach to child car seats and detect when a child remains in the vehicle after it has been locked, automatically sending an alert to the parent’s smartphone.

“Every year there are heartbreaking accidents where a child is forgotten in a car,” Gielis told HLN. “Even if it’s only for a few minutes, the consequences are often dramatic. It can happen to anyone, even the most caring parent. Technology can save lives here. That’s why we want these alarm systems to be mandatory.”

The MP acknowledged the additional cost for parents — the Cybex SensorSafe kit, one example of such technology, costs approximately 59 euros — but argued it is comparable to requiring bicycle helmets. “We want to work proactively,” she said. “We know that due to climate change we will have such heat periods more often.”

Italy Provides a Working Model

Italy became the first European country to mandate such systems in 2019 for children up to four years old. According to Vroom.be, the Italian law requires devices that sound an alarm when a child may be left alone in the vehicle and send a notification to the parent’s smartphone. Non-compliance carries fines ranging from 100 to 375 euros, while parents can have the cost of the system reimbursed by the government.

Vlaams Belang, another Flemish party, previously raised a similar proposal in 2021, suggesting potential cross-party support for the initiative.

A Recurring Tragedy

The recent deaths are not isolated incidents. In 2023, a six-month-old baby died after being forgotten in a car on the hospital parking lot in Charleroi by her mother, a doctor. In 2025, a 15-month-old toddler died in Namur after his father forgot to drop him off at daycare and left him in the hot car.

According to the European consumer organization ANEC, more than 1,400 children have died worldwide since 1998 after being left or forgotten in vehicles. The actual number is believed to be significantly higher.

Looking Ahead

The CD&V bill will be submitted to the Belgian federal parliament in the coming weeks. While the optimal solution, as Gielis noted, would be built-in alarms in vehicles themselves, that remains “future music” for now. If passed, Belgium would join Italy as one of the few European countries with mandatory child anti-abandonment systems, potentially influencing other EU member states to follow suit.

As the heatwave continues and temperatures are forecast to reach up to 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Belgium on June 26, the urgency of the proposal is underscored by the tragic events unfolding across the border.