Deadly Summer Heat: How Quickly Temperatures Rise Inside Vehicles
In 2024, 39 children across the United States died from heatstroke after being left in hot cars. Three of those deaths occurred in Texas, data from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows.
'When it comes to children being left in vehicles, it's against the law to leave children younger than 7 years of age unattended in a vehicle unless they are accompanied by someone 14 years of age or older,' said Justin Baker with the Texas Department of Public Safety. 'Now the law on that is a Class C misdemeanor, and so again it can be punishable with a hefty fine — but more importantly, it's about saving that life.'
Most hot car deaths are unintentional, often the result of a change in routine or a moment of forgetfulness, according to experts.
'It's important to make sure you give yourself reminders — check your vehicle before you get out, especially if you've changed your routine,' Baker said. 'That's when you really have to set those reminders.'
A demonstration in San Angelo showed just how quickly temperatures can become deadly. With the outside temperature at 91 degrees, a parked vehicle was left for just 10 minutes with the windows slightly cracked. When checked again, the interior had already reached 100 degrees.
Children are especially vulnerable in this kind of heat. Their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult's. Once a child's internal temperature hits 104°F, major organs begin shutting down. At 107°F, heatstroke can quickly become fatal.
And while some incidents are caused by forgetfulness, others stem from the belief that a short errand will only take a minute.
Officials say you should act immediately if you encounter a child or pet alone in a parked car and they appear to be in distress.
'So if you find yourself in that situation where you see a child or a pet unattended in a vehicle and it's obviously again very hot, it looks like they have been there awhile — one, call 9-1-1 immediately, we want to get some first responders en route,' Baker said. 'But two, you can take action in the Good Samaritan Law where you can break out a window if it comes down to saving the life of a human or a pet.'
To help prevent hot car deaths, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) encourages the public to remember the acronym A-C-T:
As the heat continues to rise across Texas in 2025, officials urge drivers to stay alert, build new habits, and never leave a child or pet unattended in a vehicle, not even for a minute.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Safe injection site brings daytime public sex to East Harlem: ‘Getting my own porno show'
They're shooting up, and getting down. New York City's controversial, taxpayer-funded 'safe' injection site has reached a depraved new low — with addicts so zonked out they routinely have sex in broad daylight, often at the doorstep of neighbors forced to endure the X-rated free-for-all. The Post witnessed the madness firsthand near OnPoint's East Harlem headquarters on a recent Wednesday afternoon, as a horndog pair were conjoined for fifteen long minutes — and kept going even as pedestrians awkwardly walked past. 9 This scene unfolded around 4:30pm on a recent Wednesday afternoon on East 126th, by the OnPoint center. J.C. Rice 'The guy was just doing his thing, just looking around, wasn't afraid of anything. I couldn't believe it. I just could not believe it,' said one revolted eyewitness, who asked not to be identified. 'The guy finished, and he just starts zipping his pants and walking away. And the woman was still bent over wondering what was going on. And then after he got maybe three yards away, she said 'Hey, hey! That's it?' and he said, 'Come on!' and then she pulled up her pants and ran behind him.' 'It's disgusting,' added neighbor Shkigale Baker, who lives across the street from where the raunchy scene took place. The government-backed shooting gallery down the block — where addicts are given clean needles and other paraphernalia to snort, smoke or inject their drug of choice on site — opened in 2021, along with a second location in Washington Heights. 9 Neighbors say the drug use spills outside the walls of the East 126th center and onto the street. J.C. Rice Since then, nonprofit OnPoint has hauled in a total of $16.4 million in taxpayer funds from the city's Department of Health, with more than half coming from the Big Apple's share of the opioid settlement funds from the Sackler family, who developed OxyContin — the drug responsible for causing the opioid crisis. The nonprofit's annual budget has blown up from $2.6 million in 2021 to $17.4 million in 2024, according to tax filings. But neighbors have gotten nothing but grief since the site opened – and told The Post things are only getting worse. 9 Baker hopes the center gets shut down. J.C. Rice 'They have sex in our yards, they defecate behind our cars. It's a mess,' said Barker, 69, putting the blame squarely on OnPoint for poisoning the block. Baker had a front row seat to a similar incident in June, on the sidewalk right in front her house. 'There was a woman here, she laid her blanket out. I was sitting here thinking 'What is she doing?' Then she took off her pants, a guy came, and I'm sitting here thinking 'What? I'm getting my own porno show – are you kidding me?'' 9 Pedestrians walked past as the NSFW act took place. J.C. Rice 'They just don't care,' slammed sister Hallia Baker, who also lives in the house. 'It's just been awful.' 'Wow, just in the open? that's a level of freedom – it's terrible don't get me wrong, but I'm just thinking….my goodness,' exclaimed another woman who lives on the block, in shock. The things I've seen just blows my mind,' chimed in Michael Carden, a pipe fitter who works in the neighborhood. 'I mean, the hookers do anything for stuff.' 9 A different location on the same block. Obtained by the New York Post The city said 6,000 junkies consumed illegal drugs as many as 38,000 times at OnPoint's two sanctioned sites over the past year, and the nonprofit brags about having prevented 1,800 overdoses since its centers opened. But critics argue those overdoses just happen outside their walls and on the streets instead. 'They're just delaying overdose deaths because they don't address the underlying pathological behavior, which is really injecting yourself with poison,' said Charles Lehman, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. 9 Every day neighbors say they see people shoot up on East 126th Street. J.C. Rice 9 Neighbors say things have become out of control. J.C. Rice Experts say the center is a beacon for drug use – and associated behaviors, such as public sex – to the neighborhoods. 'This is shocking behavior for people to have in their neighborhood. It's not shocking to law enforcement because this is the kind of behavior that we see in drug addled people,' said National Police Association's Betsy Brantner Smith. 'With these injection centers, people go, they get high, and then they give in to their urges. They're going to engage in whatever behavior they feel because their inhibitions have been taken away and they don't really care about societal norms.' 9 Neighbors say they've repeatedly called 311 and 911 about the situation. J.C. Rice 'For years, I've fought to shut down these centers that have brought crime and deteriorated residents' quality of life. Some are dangerously close to schools — including one directly across the street from a daycare,' Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island) told The Post. 'I'm hoping Attorney General Pam Bondi will take action to shutter these heroin shooting galleries once and for all.' Fed up residents earlier this year begged the Trump administration to close down OnPoint's supervised shooting sites, arguing they were in clear violation of federal law. 9 Passed out people line the streets near the safe injection site in East Harlem. J.C. Rice They've been operating in a legal gray area – permitted under city rules but not under state and federal laws. President Trump issued an executive order last month, placing the sites under investigation by Department of Justice, with civil or criminal action expected imminently, insiders have told The Post. 'Americans deserve to feel safe in their cities and towns. President Trump is providing decisive leadership to protect public safety and end the surrender of our great cities to disorder, homelessness, and crime,' said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields. The NYPD says it has received eight calls about prostitution and lewd behavior in the area so far in 2025, and has deployed a dedicated officer nearby, at East 125th Street and Lexington Avenue. 'Our work is not done and we will continue to work with all of our partners, including the local community, to create and maintain a proper quality of life,' a spokesperson told The Post. Mayor Eric Adams, who in 2023 announced three additional safe injection sites – approved under former Mayor Bill de Blasio – would open by 2025, has quietly scrapped the plan, citing legal backlash. 'Let's not mince words – this behavior is unacceptable, full stop,' a spokesperson for Adams told The Post. City Hall says it has surged resources to the area to increase sanitation sweeps, bring people to shelters, crack down on illegal vending and begin addressing long-standing scaffolding issues that act as a magnet for crime and lewd behavior. 'There is still more to be done, and we remain committed to making sure this neighborhood is safe — and feels safe — for all who call it home. Any New Yorkers who witness this behavior should report it immediately.' OnPoint has not replied to The Post's request for comment.
New York Post
7 days ago
- New York Post
Sen. John Cornyn urges FBI to help locate Texas Democrats who fled state to stall redistricting effort
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) asked the FBI Tuesday for help locating, arresting and investigating dozens of Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled the Lone Star State in an effort to stall a Republican-led redistricting effort. Cornyn, who is facing a primary challenge for his Senate seat from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, made the request in a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, where he described the 57 absentee Democrats – some of whom appear to be holed up in Illinois and New York – as 'potential lawbreakers.' 3 Cornyn noted that several of the absent Democrats appear to be hiding in other states, including Illinois and New York. AP 'Since these state legislators are currently outside of Texas, the Texas Department of Public Safety may need support to arrest the fleeing lawmakers,' the senator wrote. 'I request the FBI's assistance, as federal resources are necessary to locate the out-of-state Texas legislators who are potentially acting in violation of the law,' Cornyn continued. 'The FBI has tools to aid state law enforcement when parties cross state lines, including to avoid testifying or fleeing a scene of a crime.' 'Specifically, I am concerned that legislators who solicited or accepted funds to aid in their efforts to avoid their legislative duties may be guilty of bribery or other public corruption offenses,' he added. Cornyn noted that his request is 'time-sensitive' as the Texas Legislature only has about two-weeks remaining in its special session to consider flood-relief bills and the redrawing of state congressional maps. The FBI declined to comment. By absconding from the state capitol, the missing Democratic lawmakers have prevented the GOP-controlled legislature from establishing the quorum necessary to consider the bills. Cornyn's request comes after Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state authorities on Monday to 'arrest' the 'delinquent Texas House Democrats' and bring them back to Austin so the special session can continue. Abbott also directed the Texas Rangers to 'immediately investigate fleeing Texas House Democrats for potential bribery and any other potential legal violations connected to their refusal to appear for a quorum, conduct business, and cast votes.' The governor indicated the investigations would extend to 'anyone who aided or abetted such potential crimes.' 'As we're talking right now, Texas Department of Public Safety officers are on the streets looking for those Democrat House members to arrest them and to take them to the Texas capitol and hold them there until a quorum is reached,' Abbott said in an interview with Fox News host Will Cain on Tuesday. Abbott noted that it's unclear how many of the Democratic lawmakers remain out-of-state but that authorities are 'working with officials in other states to find ways in which we can try to arrest' them and 'bring them back to the state of Texas.' 3 The absent Democrats have prevented the Texas House of Representatives from reaching the quorum necessary to consider a controversial redistricting effort and other legislative measures. Getty Images 3 Cornyn's request to Patel comes after the Texas governor and attorney general moved to arrest and investigate the missing lawmakers. REUTERS The governor also said he'll seek to remove Democratic House members for the legislature who received financial assistance to leave the state. 'Democrats don't seem to know that taking or receiving a payment like they have to escape or not take a vote subjects them to forfeiture of their seat,' Abbott said on 'The Will Cain Show.' 'It's going to be one of the legal grounds you're going to see asserted here immediately to seek the vacation or elimination or abandonment of these House seats by the Democrats,' he added. 'So we will remove them from office and call for elections to replace them.' Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Paxton have set a Friday deadline for the runaway Democrats to appear at the capitol before 'judicial orders' are sought declaring that they have 'vacated their office.' 'The people of Texas elected lawmakers, not jet-setting runaways looking for headlines,' Paxton wrote on X. 'If you don't show up to work, you get fired.' The deadline was issued after the Texas House again failed to reach a quorum on Thursday afternoon.
USA Today
7 days ago
- USA Today
Trump says FBI 'may have to' force Democratic lawmakers back to Texas
President Donald Trump said the FBI might help arrest Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled to other states to block a Republican redistricting plan. President Donald Trump said the FBI "may have to" help arrest Texas Democratic lawmakers to their home state after more than 50 fled to block a Republican redistricting plan that could flip five U.S. congressional seats. "A lot of people are demanding they come back. You can't just sit it out. You have to go back," Trump said at an Aug. 5 press event. Trump made the remarks when asked by a reporter about Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn's request earlier in the day for the FBI to "take any appropriate steps to aid in Texas state law enforcement efforts to locate or arrest" the Democratic lawmakers. Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety Aug. 4 to arrest the Democratic lawmakers. His order was designed to force the absconding legislators to comply with civil arrest warrants that state Republican lawmakers voted to issue earlier in the day. However, it has not been clear how Texas law enforcement would be able to force the Democrats back to Texas when they are in states where local law enforcement might not be willing to execute the warrants. Many of them went to the Chicago area in Illinois, where Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker greeted them. Others went to Boston, Massachusetts and Albany, New York. "A lot of people are demanding they come back," Trump said Aug. 5. "You can't just sit it out. You have to go back." Contributing: Savannah Kuchar – USA TODAY
