SERVICE GARAGE: 
763-792-4949

2220 108th Lane NE
Blaine, MN

SERVICE GARAGE:  763-792-4949

 

hot

Often times, car owners fail to realize how quickly a car can heat up when parked on a sunny day, even if you have parked it in the shade. The temperature inside a car can rise to almost fatal levels, even when the windows are down. Heatstroke is a rather common occurrence in instances of spending prolonged time inside the car on hot day.

Summers are a great time to many; however, it comes with several different risk factors. While many people care for health concerns throughout the winter, they tend to ignore the ones that emerge in the face of rising temperatures. Our vehicles are essential modes of transport, and much of the times, we see them as safe spaces for our children and pets. However, under certain conditions, a car’s internal heat levels can turn the safe interior into a hostile, life-threatening zone.

There have been many reports of children and pets dying from heatstroke because they were inside the car unattended for too long. For this reason, many states in the US have made it illegal for parents and pet owners to leave their babies inside a parked car.

How Hot can A Car get Under Sun Exposure

Most cars have dark colored interior, and carpet mats. These will absorb an incredible amount of heat in just over an hour if you expose them to direct sunlight. Sunlight or heat enters into the car through the windshields easily, and the heat keeps on absorbing. This in turn results in temperature inside the car to increase more than the temperature outside the car.

An experiment revealed that on an average hot summer’s day, the temperature inside a parked car could rise at least 20 degrees under direct sun exposure. Another study revealed that rolling the windows down also does not help with this rapid temperature increase.

Don’t Leave Children inside

Children are small, not just in age, but also in size. The smaller stature and physique of children mean that their body heats up a lot faster than an adult. This puts them at a higher vulnerability of dangerously rising temperatures.

Unlike adults, children have not developed the biological mechanisms to fight the heat. We, as adults can withstand heat because excessive sweating helps us lower our body temperature. This means that children are more likely to show signs of overheating. These include:

  • Dizziness
  • Disorientation
  • Heavy Breathing
  • Unconsciousness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

Ultimately, temperatures in a car to look out for are 104 degrees Fahrenheit and 107 degrees Fahrenheit. The former will cause the children to have a heat stroke, while the latter is can be fatal.

It is essential that you do not undermine the heat outside. Even if it seems bearable to you, keep in mind that temperature levels will rise inside a car when left exposed to the summer heat.