Better safe than sorry

By CRM Staff

Toronto, Ontario – July 31, 2018 — Nissan is taking the next step in Rear Door Alert (RDA) technology; with the company announcing that it will be equipping eight new vehicles with RDA starting in 2019.

The system, which works in combination with door sensors and a message display program, alerts exiting passengers with a series of horn honks to remind them to check the backseat. The unique idea is an industry first, with Nissan being the only automaker to implement horns for this particular feature.

“If you open a rear door and put something in the rear seat, Rear Door Alert will help you remember when you get to your destination that you may have forgotten it,” said Marlene Mendoza, a mechanical engineer who helped create the technology. “By drawing attention back to the vehicle while the driver is walking away, the honking alerts you to recheck the back seat in addition to visual or interior audible alerts.”

Mendoza is one of two mothers responsible for the idea behind the technology. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, even in moderate temperatures of 15 C, a vehicle’s interior can quickly heat up to more than 43 C.

“The idea was inspired when I accidentally left a pan of lasagna in the back seat of my car overnight,” added Mendoza, who was pregnant when the idea struck. “The worst thing was the car smelled for days, but it made me ask myself, ‘What if I left something far more important back there?’”

The technology is easy to configure and can be temporarily or permanently turned off by simply using the menu in the cluster display.