Community Corner

Beware of Dangers in a Hot Car

What happens inside your car on a hot day?

The windows of a car are basically “transparent” to the sun’s shortwave radiation so the windows won’t get too hot but, the sun can heat objects up to a temperature of 180 or more, according to the National Weather Service.

Objects like dashboards, steering wheels and child seats “heat the adjacent air by conduction and convection and also give off long wave radiation which is very efficient at warming the air trapped inside a vehicle,” according to the site.

The NWS advises:

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  • Make sure your child's safety seat and safety belt buckles aren't too hot before securing your child in a safety restraint system, especially when your car has been parked in the heat.
  • Never leave your child unattended in a vehicle, even with the windows down.
  • Also, turn on your car to cool it off before you head out to cool it. You don't want children to sit in the hot car while it takes a few minutes for the air conditioning to cool it off.

 

 

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