The American carmaker has developed a warning system that is automatically triggered when the rear passenger doors are opened at the beginning of a journey. The principle is very simple.

When the vehicle is stopped and the ignition is switched off, a visual alert is displayed on the vehicle’s central screen for ten seconds. An audible warning is also emitted, reminding the driver to check the rear seats before exiting the vehicle.

These alerts are designed to avoid a child or pet being left behind or trapped in the car, with all the dangers that this entails.

Every year, children and pets are victims of fatal heat stroke after being locked inside a car for even a few minutes, as temperatures can easily exceed 50 or 60 degrees Celsius. In the United States alone, nearly 40 children die each year in such conditions.

Ford has also posted a particularly explicit video that clearly illustrates the extent of these risks, with an “ice baby” and an “ice dog” placed inside a car when the outside temperature is 35 degrees C.

In Europe, the technology will concern the EcoSport, Fiesta, Focus, Galaxy, Kuga, Mondeo Hybrid, Puma, S-MAX, Transit and Tourneo Connect models. It is also announced for the all-new Mustang Mach-E.