Community Corner
Heatwave Warning: Never Leave Anyone in a Car
As Saturday's temperatures are expected to stay red hot, this demonstration shows you just how dangerous it can be.
Editor's Note: I first did this experiment/demonstration for Patch in 2011, on a day which looked and felt almost exactly like this Friday's scorching last day of May, 2013 It's a good reminder of just how quickly a car parked in the sun can turn dangerous or deadly.
You're just running into a store for a 'few minutes' and figure it's really not as bad as the newscasters warn to leave someone in the car just while you run in. Simply put, you're not "that guy" or "that mom"- right?
Take a look at the reality of how fast the interior of a car can heat up to lethal temperatures. We parked the 'Patchmobile' (a very standard four-door black compact with tinted windows) in the parking lot of a typical Chester County shopping center with lots of concrete and almost no shade. We placed an easy to read thermometer on the front seat (much easier to photograph from outside in the front seat than in the back). And for the point of illustration, a second thermometer was places on the dashboard.
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The temperature inside the car jumped:
- From a dangerous 92 degrees at 3:40 p.m.(within 30 seconds of turning off the full blast air conditioner) to
- A seering 104 degrees within just 10 minutes and
- Rocketed to a potentially deadly 118 degrees at 4 p.m.
- Just 30 minutes after closing the doors and windows the temperature inside the car was a hellacious 120 degrees.
The dashboard temperature change was even more dramatic.
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- At 3:40 p.m. the thermometer read a steamy 98 degrees.
- At 3:50 p.m. the mercury had literally topped out at over 120 in just 10 minutes.
While no one obviously sits on the vinyl dashboard of a car, you don't want to leave anything like sunglasses or crayons on the dash.
How to Stay Safe/Healthy During a Heatwave:
How to stay cool in extreme heat
Follow these tips to help you stay cool:
-
When outside, wear a hat and stay in the shade as much as possible. Avoid asphalt and pavement, if possible. They're normally hotter than dirt or grass, and they radiate infrared heat.
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Drink plenty of water before any activity. For strenuous exercise, drink water or a salt replacement fluid about every 15 minutes. If you have pale, clear urine, you're drinking enough fluids.
Schedule strenuous outdoor activity for the cooler parts of the day. Normally, this is before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
At the beginning of the warm weather season, spend several days acclimatizing yourself to the heat by gradually increasing your activities outside.
If you're on any medications, consult with your doctor before undertaking any strenuous activity in the heat. Some drugs can cause dehydration.
Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothes. Natural fibers like cotton help the body release heat better.
Eat light foods, as well as plenty of fruits and vegetables, because they contain water.
Take cool or tepid baths and showers to cool down.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can interfere with sweating and fluid loss.
Simplify meal preparation to cut down on cooking time. Use a microwave if possible.
If your home doesn't have air conditioning, use fans to circulate the air. Spend as much time as possible in air conditioned buildings, such as libraries or shopping malls.
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