that’s how quickly the temperature in a car rises
Image: Shutterstock
It is regularly in the news: babies or dogs that are left in a sweltering car. And that is life-threatening, because even at an outside temperature of 21 degrees, the temperature in a car can rise very quickly. With all its consequences.
Anyone who ever parks their car in a sunny spot knows that a bucket of heat is coming your way as soon as you open the door. With all windows and doors closed, the mercury can rise considerably in a short time. This has everything to do with the material of a car, which allows light to pass through quite easily. Certainly black cars turn into a sauna in no time. Do you immediately understand why they usually drive a white car in warm countries.
Dangerous temperatures
It still happens regularly that a dog or baby is left behind in a car. Dangerous. Yes, even for a while. In a sweltering hot car, a child can first feel sick, become disoriented and eventually become unconscious. If his body temperature rises to 41 degrees, it can even be fatal. For babies, the heat is even more risky, as they are not yet able to regulate their body temperature properly. It goes without saying that you have to be careful on a hot day, but you should also be careful at lower temperatures. Even at an outside temperature of 21 degrees it can get very hot in a car. Leaving a window open is not enough.
Read also: Forgetting your child in the car: ‘It can also happen to you as a responsible parent’
Mercury in the car is rising rapidly
The fact that the temperature in a car rises faster than you might think can be seen from the overview below. So watch out!
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21 degrees outside
After 10 minutes in the car: 31 degrees
After 30 minutes in the car: 40 degrees -
24 degrees outside
After 10 minutes in the car: 34 degrees
After 30 minutes in the car: 43 degrees -
27 degrees outside
After 10 minutes in the car: 37 degrees
After 30 minutes in the car: 45 degrees -
30 degrees outside
After 10 minutes in the car: 40 degrees
After 30 minutes in the car: 48 degrees -
32 degrees outside
After 10 minutes in the car: 43 degrees
After 30 minutes in the car: 51 degrees -
35 degrees outside
After 10 minutes in the car: 45 degrees
After 30 minutes in the car: 54 degrees
Terrible story
In Belgium, a baby died last week after sitting in a hot car all day. Her mother had driven to the hospital before work in the morning and forgot to take the girl to the shelter. When the baby’s father did not find her at the nursery that evening, the alarm bells went off. The heat has killed the girl, the Public Prosecution Service says. According to neuropsychology professor Erik Scherder, who cites an American study, forgetting your child in the car can happen to any parent. This can already happen due to a small deviation in your routine, for example because your partner normally takes your child to daycare. What you can do to reduce the chance? In this article we give a few tips.
Source: Margriet, Weeronline, Consumers Association
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