Tesla implements new safety feature to prevent child deaths: 'This will repeat at regular intervals'

Tesla has introduced a brand new safety feature that is designed to prevent heat stroke deaths of children trapped in vehicles.

Teslarati reported that the car company has been hard at work designing the feature, which utilizes an ultrawave sensor that would detect heartbeats as opposed to movement.

Tesla posted an update on X of when customers could expect the feature to go live. The company said Software Update 2025.14.12 will first roll out to mid-2023 and later Model 3s in Europe, with other models and regions to follow soon.

First reported by Not A Tesla App, the release notes of Software Update 2025.14.12 detail the advanced feature known as "Child Left Alone Detection."

"If an unattended child is detected, the vehicle will flash the exterior indicator lights, play an alert tone, and send a notification to your Tesla app," the release notes read, per the publication.

"This will repeat at regular intervals until you return to your vehicle. Cabin data is processed locally and is not transmitted to Tesla. This feature is enabled by default."

According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, around 37 children die of heat stroke while inside a vehicle each year. This is mostly caused when a child is left unattended in the vehicle or is unable to free themselves from their seat.

Some 52% of these deaths occur when a child is unknowingly left in a car by a parent or guardian, making it the leading cause of fatal heat stroke incidents.

However, 25% of these fatal incidents occur when a child finds their way into an unattended vehicle. This can happen when a car is left unlocked and a child wanders inside.

As the NHTSA noted, the temperature inside a car can quickly reach over 115 degrees when the outside temperature is just 70 degrees. Once a person's body temperature reaches 104 degrees, the possibility of heat stroke and its complications quickly rises.

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With the addition of its Child Left Alone Detection feature, Tesla will look to shake off months of bad publicity that have plagued the company.

Thanks to Tesla CEO Elon Musk's involvement in U.S. politics, as well as offensive actions and statements from the 53-year-old, the company has faced a massive drop-off in sales through the first quarter of 2025.

Despite the downturn in sales, many Tesla vehicles and other EVs offer great value when it comes to battery life and overall maintenance costs.

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