How hot can the interior of a car get – and how quickly?

By on June 10, 2019
The thermometer on the background of the sun. 3d rendering.

It is really hot in the Bay with some areas said to reach triple digits.  We always hear not to leave your pets, children or the elderly in the car EVEN WITH THE WINDOWS CRACKED and there is a very good reason for that.  Leaving the windows slightly open doesn’t help much.  Vehicles can  heat up to fatal temperatures!  Unfortunately, people sometimes forget their children are in the car or people leave their pets inside for what they think is not a lot of time.  These can be deadly mistakes.

“When temperatures outside range from 80 degrees to 100 degrees, the temperature inside a car parked in direct sunlight can quickly climb to between 130 to 172.”

– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

“In terms of heat-rise over time, it makes very little difference whether a car’s windows are closed or partially open. In both cases, a car’s interior temperature can rise approximately 40 degrees within one hour, even when the exterior temperature is only 72°F.”

– American Academy of Pediatrics study (2005)

 

Below is a video that illustrates how quickly your vehicle acts like a greenhouse and rises in temperature.

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