A manufacturer said it has teamed with an insurer to offer child day-care businesses a break on their insurance if they install a device that keeps drivers from accidentally abandoning children on vans or buses.

Memphis, Tenn.-based ATWEC Technologies said the arrangement was made with NSI, a division of West Bend Mutual Insurance Company, West Bend, Wis.

The manufacturer said in a statement that the insurer would offer to give West Bend childcare policyholders a reduced price on ATWEC's KiddieSystem product with a discount on premiums if they install it on their buses or vans.

ATWEC's announcement did not provide any specific cost figures. A call requesting further information was not returned.

According to the product-maker's Web site, when the bus or van ignition switch is turned off the KiddieVoice alerting system starts telling the driver to start checking the vehicle for passengers. The alerting message can only be deactivated by the driver's walking to the rear interior of the vehicle and manually depressing the cancellation button.

While walking to the back of the vehicle, the prompt tells the driver to check each seat for occupants and a secondary inspection is accomplished as the driver returns to the front of the vehicle.

ATWEC said it will offer West Bend Mutual policyholders an instant discount for those participating in the offer.

Chel Buttchen, NSI supervisor of childcare and personal appearance programs, said that in addition to a discount in the purchase price of KiddieVoice, NSI would provide an auto liability premium credit to those policyholders that offer proof of installation on all vehicles used for transporting children.

West Bend's NSI division offers an insurance program to childcare businesses in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. The company provides a full range of business insurance for childcare operations.

The company noted there are 88,205 licensed family and group centers in the seven states where it offers the coverage.

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