Dick Hannah Vancouver Collision Center

Tips for Hot Car Safety

You’ve seen it on television and read about it in the newspapers – the unfortunate occurrence of a child’s or pet’s death due to extreme heat in the car. Here at Dick Hannah Vancouver Collision Center, we have seen this happen more than a few times in Vancouver, WA, so here are some tips that might just prevent it from happening to you.

Just how hot can it get inside your vehicle? You might just be surprised to find out that even when it’s 60 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the temperature can rise above 110 degrees Fahrenheit inside your car, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Children and infants are more susceptible to heat-related illness, such as heat stroke because they don’t have the same ability to adjust their body temperature as adults do.

You also need to look after your furry friend. Annually, hundreds of pets die from heat exhaustion and it just takes 15 minutes of being in a heated vehicle for them to sustain brain damage or die from heatstroke, according to PETA. It is especially hard for dogs, since they can only cool themselves by panting.

Protect your loved one and pet by following these five prevention tips:

• Never leave your child or pet by itself in your vehicle! An errand may only take a few minutes, but the stakes are too high to leave anyone in the car. Even if you roll down the windows one or two inches, the heat can reach deadly levels. 

• Double check your backseat to ensure everyone is out of the car. It may seem improbable, but surprisingly it does happen – many children mistakenly get forgotten in the car. Even if you think everyone is out, take the time to check.

• No playing in the car! Make sure to close and lock your car and trunk when you’re not using it, even if it’s in the garage so your child or pet doesn’t crawl inside.

• Keep your car keys and fobs out of reach. This will help avoid kids playing with your keys and getting locked in your vehicle accidentally.

• If you happen to see a child or pet inside a car on a warm day, take action!

If it is a child, call 911 immediately. If they seem distressed, attempt to get them out.

If you see a dog, try to find its owner and note the car's information to report the situation later.

There is no safe amount of time to leave a child or pet in the car. Taking a little extra time and precautions will keep everyone protected. We at Dick Hannah Vancouver Collision Center hope you take these tips to heart, and remember to keep our little ones (and their furry friends) cool during these hot times in WA!

Sources: WebMD, NHTSA and Forbes