Deadly Summer Heat: How Quickly Temperatures Rise Inside Vehicles

Yahoo

2 days ago

SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — As the Texas summer begins to scorch, health and safety officials are warning parents and caregivers about the life-threatening risk of leaving children inside hot vehicles — even for just a few minutes.
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.
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