We’re going to see high temperatures next week in Indy and it’s important to remember that if it’s hot outside, it’s even hotter in your vehicle.
On hot summer days, always double check your backseat for passengers (whether that be pets or children), drink lots of water and be sure to watch for signs of heat cramps, exhaustion or stroke.
Never leave children or pets unattended in vehicles
It is never safe to leave a child, disabled person or pet locked in a car. For more information about how cars can heat up quickly when left in the sun, check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website in both English and Spanish.
While this applies all year round, it is especially important on warm or hot summer days.
Every year, hundreds of pets die from heat exhaustion because they are left in parked vehicles, according to the American Veterinarian Medical Association. The temperature inside a vehicle can rise almost 20º F in just 10 minutes, and almost 30º F in 20 minutes.
The longer a pet, child or person is inside a car turned off in the heat, the higher it goes.
At one hour, your vehicle’s inside temperature can be more than 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature. Even on a 70-degree day, that’s 110 degrees inside a car.
Can you break a window to rescue a pet from a hot vehicle in Indiana?
Indiana law states that a person who forcibly enters a vehicle to remove a domestic animal is responsible for half of the cost of repairing the vehicle damage directly caused by the person’s forcible entry if certain criteria aren’t met.
You have to reasonably believe that the dog is in imminent danger of dying or suffering serious harm, use no more force than needed and determine that the vehicle is indeed locked so forcible entry is necessary to remove the dog. You must also call 911, and remain with the dog until law enforcement or emergency responders arrive.
Rescuers are, however, immune from all other civil or criminal liability for other property damage in this case. So the owner who left their pet in the vehicle can’t sue or press charges against you.
Can you break a window to rescue a child from a hot car in Indiana?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that bystanders not wait more than a few minutes for a driver to return to the car and to first assess if the child is responsive or unresponsive.
You should call 911 right away and get the child out of the car if they appear to be unresponsive. Be sure to check for unlocked doors first. Once the child is freed from the vehicle, they may need to be sprayed or toweled off with cool water until emergency responders arrive.
If a child is responsive, the NHTSA recommends staying with the child outside of the vehicle until law enforcement and or first responders arrive to locate the driver.
Like with rescuing animals, a person who causes damage without following proper steps — calling 911, checking for unlocked doors, etc. — could be responsible for some of the repair cost.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: If it’s hot outside, it’s even hotter in your vehicle. Never leave pets or children unattended.
Reporting by Katie Wiseman and Jade Jackson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
