|
Health 52
Info Tip: Car Heat
If you’re driving with children or pets, remember that a parked car in
summer can be a deathtrap, even with the windows open.
The temperature in a car from the sun’s radiation works like a convection
oven. Objects, like the dashboard, steering wheel and a child’s car seat,
heat up. The heat from those objects then fills the trapped air inside the
vehicle.
The Humane Society of the United States says that on an 85-degree day, the
temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102
degrees within ten minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature can reach 120
degrees.
On hot and humid days, the temperature in a car parked in direct sunlight
can rise more than 30 degrees per minute. Parking in the shade does very
little to minimize the impact.
Dogs are designed to conserve heat. Their sweat glands are located on their
nose and the pads of their feet and are inadequate for cooling during hot
days. Children and frail senior citizens are also susceptible to heat
exhaustion and heat stroke. Symptoms include headache, dizziness and nausea.
Consider a small cooler to keep water chilled for your pets and children
during long trips this summer.
Sources: American Red Cross,
Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
Click here for audio
|
