With the summer heat in full swing once again, it is important for everyone to do their best to stay cool this season. While looking out for ourselves in this sort of weather is one thing, we can’t forget about the lives that are in our care. Children and pets cannot take care of themselves the way adults can.
Young children can’t be expected to take care of themselves. They don’t know the warning signs of when a place is too hot, nor do they have the ability to deal with the heat. Due to these facts, a child should never be left unattended in a car when temperatures approach 70 degrees. If they are left alone in a car in warm conditions, they could face serious bodily harm or worse.
Even at a comfortable temperature like 75 degrees, the inside of a car can become unbearable. The interior of a car can drastically increase in temperature when exposed to the harsh summer sun. The insides can reach up to 118 degrees at this low of a temperature, and can reach up to 145 degrees if the outside is at 94 degrees.
Even if you were just planning on running into the store for just a moment, the interior of the car will begin to bake the moment you shut off the air conditioning. Leaving the windows open just a crack is not enough to cool off the car. The metal body of the vehicle absorbs heat while the glass windows magnify it. All of that warmth gets trapped inside the vehicle making it unsafe for anyone, child or pet, to be stuck inside.