BALTIMORE — When you think of summer the first few things that come to mind are sunshine, pools opening, and vacations, all light and fun things. Summer also has another thing that should be on our minds as well, hot cars.
Hot cars are dangerous for young children and pets during the summer as temperatures inside a vehicle during the summer can reach over 100 degrees in the matter of minutes.
Normally an 80 degree day is manageable for many people and pets but after only 10 minutes the temperature inside your vehicle skyrockets to 99 degrees. If this is what an 80 degree day can do to the inside temperature of a car, imagine what a 90+ degree day can do!
As we start off this week, 90+ degree heat sets up over the Mid-Atlantic for the next few days with very little cloud cover. This will lead to prime conditions for hot car scenarios.
But we can do things that help reduce and even eliminate these situations by ensuring to always check the back seat of your car before you exit. Make sure to leave something vital to your day in the back, like your cellphone, purse, or even wallet, to make sure you have to check back there. Also, bring your child or pet with you if you have to get out of the car, even if it is for less than five minutes. Lastly, cracking open windows is not enough to let the air circulate to help bring down the temperature.
If you happen to run into a child or pet stuck in a hot car action must be taken immediately. Calling 911 first is the most important thing to do as they can then help the child or pet combat the heat stress or illness they may be facing.
