From staff reports
As the mercury climbs, one thing’s for certain: Summertime, and the car is heating — in the interior, specifically. In fact, temperatures can rise to levels as high as 172 degrees, Expedia subsidiary CarRentals.com said in a recent report.
And it doesn’t take long for the heat inside a parked vehicle to get to dangerous temperatures. Even when the outside temperature is a relatively (for Texas) temperate 80 degrees, a car interior can easily reach temperatures 40 to 60 degrees higher than that.
“At outside temperatures as low as 60ºF, the inside of a car temperature can reach up to 100ºF on a sunny day,” the company said. “We caution you to be wary of the consequences of leaving items, children and pets in the car, even on a slightly sunny day. ”
The company’s guide goes on to explain:
“When a car is parked out in the open, the car is vulnerable to intense rays of direct sunlight. Making matters worse, when the windows are rolled up, as most parked cars are, there is zero air circulation. Direct sunlight and no air circulation is a recipe for disaster for things inside the car. Cars with dark interiors have an even higher risk of dangerous temperatures than light interior cars.
The inside of your car is affected by the sun’s ultraviolet radiation combined with the temperature outside. The inside of your car acts like a greenhouse because the heat is being absorbed by your car.”
And don’t think that cracking a window is a long-term plan, either. “Yes, some warm air may escape, which can help in the short term,” CarRentals.com said. “But temperatures are still shown to rise at an alarming rate, leading to car damage and health risks for pets and people left inside.”
How do you avoid becoming a statistic? The report gives these tips:
- Create a habit of checking the back seat by placing important items there. Put your cellphone, ID, credit card or purse in the backseat to help with this habit.
- Lock your car so children cannot enter the vehicle when unused. Twenty-six percent of deaths are caused by children climbing into unlocked cars in the US.
- Make it known to children that the car is not a safe place to play. Teach kids that the car is not a place to play, as some may use it for hide and seek and not realize they’ve locked themselves inside the hot car.
- Have your daycare teachers call you if your child is 10 minutes late to have a reminder to not forget your child in the backseat. Forty-four percent of deaths of children forgotten in hot cars were on the way to daycare or preschool.
- Keep your dog’s leash up front in the cup holder once everyone is in. The leash will serve as a reminder about your furry friend when you turn off the ignition.
- Decrease distractions. When driving, you’re already distracted by directions or chatter, which could lead to forgetfulness. Decrease these distractions by putting your phone away and turning down music.
- Check your state laws to see how you can help. Every state has a different law on what you can and cannot do when you encounter this situation. For example, in California, if you see an animal in trouble you may break the window in order to save the pet, but there is no law stating you may do so with a child, making it illegal to smash a window to save a child. Instead, alert authorities immediately.
To see more of the report, and more tips, click here.
