Among people of all ages, the main cause of forgetting is failing to pay attention. If you’ve driven a familiar route and can’t recall passing landmarks or making certain turns, you’ve experienced this phenomenon.

Why didn’t you remember? Your brain was on autopilot. You never created a memory in the first place.

One of the most tragic examples of inattention concerns children left in hot cars. Each year, dozens of young parents forget their child in the back seat. Often, it’s hours later before the child is found — strapped into their car seat, dead from heat stroke.