Experts caution about dangers of leaving pets, children in hot cars
They say to never leave children or pets in cars, even with windows cracked.
More Stories
Experts want to remind drivers never to leave children or pets in cars, especially in hot summer months or during heat waves.
To put it in perspective, a car can go from 80 degrees to 109 degrees in 20 minutes.
“It will not take long for a pet or a child of any size to really start feeling the effects of heat exposure inside a car,” said Westport Police Lt. Eric Woods.
“This is because of the greenhouse effect on vehicles and combined with the fact that a child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult,” said Amber Rollins, the director of Kids And Car Safety.
According to KACS, most of the child deaths due to hot cars happen when they're left in the car by accident.
“Even with the windows rolled down, temperatures can get up to 30 degrees higher than the outside environment and that can lead to heatstroke,” said Dr. Andrew Wong, of Hartford HealthCare Primary Care.
Experts say if a child is seen unattended in a car, the best course of action is to alert police.
“We’d much rather get there than deal with finding that child sooner than later and helping that child if we can,” said Woods.
MORE: 13 cool tips to help you stay healthy during the summer heat
12 tips to help keep your pets cool during the dog days of summer
