With summer heat on the rise, interior car temperatures can quickly become unbearable. To help prevent tragic incidents, Nissan has created a Rear Door Alert system that will come as a standard feature on the 2018 Pathfinder.

Elsa Foley, an industrial engineer and mother of two young children and Marlene Mendoza, a mechanical engineer and mother of three, decided to work on an idea to help remind drivers to check their back seats before walking away.

Not only does this device protect vulnerable passengers, but it can also prevent one from leaving perishable goods out too long in the sun (or the cold) as shown in this video: Nissan Rear Door Alert.

The system monitors the rear door switches to detect their open/closed status prior to and after a trip. If a rear door was opened/closed prior to a trip, but then was not reopened again after the trip was completed, it responds with a notification on the instrument panel display and if the door is still not reopened, triggers a distinctive alert.