Indiana & Kentucky Motorists Be Warned – Don’t Leave These 15 Things in Your Car on Hot Summer Days
With heat indexes climbing well into the triple digits, we need to be cautious, not just of our health but also with our cars.
The current weather across Indiana and the rest of the country is just plain oppressive. It is so hot and muggy that it feels like I'm trying to breathe soup every time I walk outside. Not only that, but getting into the car feels like I'm crawling into an oven.
Temperatures in Your Car Can Exceed 150°F
When the mercury rises like this, and the heat index is well above 100F°, the car can get dangerously hot. According to a study published by the National Institute of Health, when the ambient temperature outside reaches 86°F, the air inside a vehicle can easily (and quickly) exceed 150°F.
How Hot Is Too Hot Inside a Car?
Not only does the air inside your car get hot, but objects inside your car can get even hotter! The National Weather Service warns that seats, steering wheels, and dashboards can reach 200°F. This temperature far exceeds the 118°F required to cause first-degree burns.
READ MORE: How Hot is Too Hot for Your Dog's Paws?
Why Your Car Heats Up So Fast
The atmosphere and the windows of a car are relatively transparent to the suns shortwave radiation (yellow in figure below) and are warmed little. This shortwave energy, however, does heat objects it strikes. For example, a dark dashboard or seat can easily reach temperatures in the range of 180 to more than 200 degrees F. These objects (e.g., dashboard, steering wheel, child seat) heat the adjacent air by conduction and convection and also give off longwave radiation (red) which is very efficient at warming the air trapped inside a vehicle. -NWS
Not only can it get hot enough inside your car to cause burn injuries, but it can also get hot enough to damage anything you may have left inside your car. An unopened can of soda, for example, can actually explode if left in a hot car. As the temperature rises, the CO2 molecules in the soft drink can begin to move at such a high rate that, according to KUT News, it can create pressure inside the can that is five to six times greater than the outside air pressure!
READ MORE: These Meds Could Make the Heat More Dangerous for You
15 Items You Should Never Leave in a Hot Car
As it turns out, soda cans aren't the only thing you shouldn't leave in your car in the heat of summer. Keep scrolling to see our list of 15 items to never leave in a hot car.
15 Things You Should Never Leave in Your Car During a Heatwave
Gallery Credit: Kat Mykals
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