As summer approaches and temperatures begin to rise, it becomes increasingly important for parents to not leave their children in a hot car. Dr. Ilan Shapiro (fluent-Spanish speaker), a pediatrician at AltaMed Health Services and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) aims to educate the public on how stop hot car-related deaths, which are 100 percent preventable. According to the AAP, heat stroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths in children under 15-years-old.
A new study from Arizona State University and the University of California San Diego quantifies just how long it takes for cars to reach killer temperatures in either the sun or the shade. Left in the sun on a 100-degree day in Arizona, it took just an hour for the interior temperature to hit 116 degrees. Dashboards heated up to a stinging 157 degrees and seats hit 123 degrees in that time. The shade wasn’t much better. Interior temperatures reached 100 degrees after one hour and seats were 105 degrees. These tests replicated what might happen during a shopping trip.
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