GMC Acadia integrates forget-me-not technologyJune16(AZINS) When it goes on sale this fall GMC's Acadia crossover will be the first car in the US with rear seat reminder technology.

The system serves a very simple purpose, to prompt the driver to check the back seats, to make sure he or she hasn't forgotten anything before parking and leaving the car.

FBI data shows that in the US, over 20% of larceny reported over a year is from a car -- be it a smash and grab for a notebook computer or an expensive looking suitcase or handbag left on the back seat and in view.

The system can't tell if the rear seats are actually in use -- i.e., there are no weight or pressure sensors in the seat backs -- but does monitor doors opening and closing and can, therefore, calculate if something or someone had been put in the Acadia's rear before setting off on a journey.

Then when the car comes to a halt, an audible reminder plus a digital display message will prompt the driver to check the rear seats before exiting the vehicle.

"Acadia drivers live busy lives with demanding schedules, and the Rear Seat Reminder helps protect the things we care about most," said Tricia Morrow, GM global safety strategy engineer. "Whether it's your lunch, laptop, pet or most importantly, your child."

For drivers that don't live in the US, it can seem hard to believe that almost half of American children under the age of 14 who die of in-vehicle heatstroke in any given year do so because they were forgotten.

"It's easier than it seems to forget what's in the back seat when moving between life's events," said Morrow. "With this new feature, we are leading the charge to address this ongoing problem."

GM first demonstrated the new technology at the beginning of the year at the Detroit Auto Show and the feature will be coming to more GM cars in the future.

And while child safety advocates have welcomed the technology, they hope that parents continue to remain vigilant.

"We must always remember that the safest way to protect a child from heatstroke is to never leave a child unattended in a vehicle," said Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. "Technology alone cannot solve the issue of heatstroke when it comes to young children, but this new Acadia reminder can help."