Tesla has made its Child Left Alone Detection feature available to more Model Y vehicles in the UK. This comes with the 2025.32.6 software update. Owners now get the same safety feature as the newer Tesla models thanks to improvements with cabin radar.
Tesla’s system spots if a child is left in the car alone. The radar sensor checks for things like breathing and small movement. This works even if the child is under a blanket or in a car seat. If the system picks up an unattended child, here’s what happens:
- The car flashes the external indicator lights
- An alert tone sounds outside the vehicle
- Owners get a push notification on their Tesla app
- The system repeats these alerts regularly until the car is checked
The system processes everything inside the car, and nothing leaves the vehicle, so privacy is protected. The feature is turned on by default. Owners can turn it off in the safety settings under “Child Left Alone Detection”.
Heatstroke kills an average of 37 children in parked cars in the US every year and the risk is mostly with children under two years old. The breakdown of heatstroke cases shows more than half happen when a caregiver forgets the child, about a quarter when kids get into vehicles on their own, and the rest when a child is left purposely. As of September 2025, 28 children have died in hot vehicles in the US this year alone.
Tesla’s radar technology is different from older car safety tools. It works by sensing heartbeats, breathing, and movement even through covers. This is better than basic seat sensors, which can miss movement or don’t work if the child is asleep and covered. The radar sits behind the headliner above the rearview mirror.
Right now, this feature supports Model Y from 2022 or later, Model 3 from 2024 or later, Cybertruck, and Model S and X from 2021 or later. Tesla vehicles had this radar for years, but it became active only with recent software updates.
Tesla plans updates to the system. Later, it can turn on climate control to cool the car, open windows for air, or call emergency services automatically if there is no response.
Tesla started offering this to some European markets in May 2025, then added more vehicles through mid-year updates, and now older UK Model Ys get the feature.
Tesla’s Child Left Alone Detection uses radar and software updates to stop preventable deaths in hot vehicles. Now, more families in the UK have extra protection with these new tools.
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