Hot Vehicle Awareness
Never leave children or pets unattended in a parked vehicle. Not even for a moment.
Every year, dozens of children and countless pets suffer fatal heatstroke after being left in vehicles, even on days that feel mild. The interior of a car can heat up nearly 20 degrees in just 10 minutes, reaching deadly temperatures rapidly. Cracking the windows or parking in the shade does little to slow this rise.
Children’s bodies overheat three to five times faster than adults, and pets are equally vulnerable. Tragically, most hot car deaths occur because a caregiver simply forgot the child was in the back seat. It can happen to anyone.
Key Facts:
- Heatstroke begins when body temperature reaches 104°F; death can occur at 107°F.
- Over 1,000 children have died from vehicular heatstroke since 1998.
- 88% of child victims are age 3 or younger.
Prevention Tips:
- Always check the back seat before walking away from your vehicle.
- Lock your car when not in use to prevent children from climbing inside.
- If you see a child or pet alone in a vehicle, call 911 immediately.
Hot vehicle tragedies are 100% preventable. Let’s stay alert and protect what matters most.
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The Greenhouse Effect
Even when the outside temperature is only 80°F, the inside of a parked vehicle can become dangerously hot in minutes. Within 10 minutes, the temperature inside can rise to 99°F, and after 30 minutes, it can soar past 114°F. This rapid increase happens due to the greenhouse effect, where sunlight enters through the windows, heats up the interior surfaces, and traps the heat inside.
Many people assume that cracking a window or parking in the shade will prevent overheating, but studies show that these methods do not significantly slow down the heating process. This is why never leaving children or pets in a parked car, even for a short time is crucial.
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Protecting Your Pets
Many pet owners don’t realize how quickly a parked car can become dangerously hot, even on mild days. Studies show that when the outside temperature is just 70°F, the inside of a car can reach 104°F in 20 minutes. On warmer days, temperatures inside a vehicle can soar past 129°F in less than 30 minutes, putting pets at extreme risk of heatstroke, dehydration, and even death.
Unlike humans, pets, especially dogs cannot regulate their body temperature as efficiently. They rely on panting to cool down, but in an overheated car, this method quickly becomes ineffective.