With temperatures on the rise as we advance into summer, it is important to remember that cars get very dangerous in the sun and heat.
If you have ever sat in a car on a hot day without air conditioning, you know that you start to sweat almost immediately.
A car is basically an oven if you think about it. Cars have many windows which allows the solar insolation to penetrate the car. Even in the shade, cars can get dangerously hot.
With temperatures in the mid-70s, a car can heat up inside to a temperature in the middle 90s. You add just five degrees to that and you get temperatures reaching nearly 100 degrees within 10 minutes. In 50 minutes, the car can reach temperatures of up to a scorching 116 degrees.
With an air temperature of 90, the car inside can reach nearly 110 degrees within 10 minutes and 130 degrees in 50 minutes. Needless to say, never leave a child or pet in the car. Always double check the back seat. It is always a good idea to place an item that you'll need getting out of the car so you don't forget.
Courtesy: NoHeatStroke.org
According to noheatstroke.org, 854 children have died due to pediatric vehicular heatstroke since 1998. So far in 2020, there have been five fatalities across the country.
The color of the car can also have a small impact to the temperature inside. Light colored cars tend to reflect the sunlight more efficiently than dark colored vehicles.