It’s easy to get distracted in the Florida heat and the Palm Beach County traffic, especially in the summer. Certain items get left inside your car all the time and you tend to forget about them until you need them.
And that’s a problem you might not realize. With the humidity and heat of the South Florida sun, temperatures in your car can reach up to 145 degrees.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the temperature inside your car can rise by as much as 20 degrees in 10 minutes, even in cooler weather. After an hour, it can reach around 140 degrees on a 95-degree day, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
This can cause harm to children, pets and even foods.
Here’s what not to leave in a hot car.
What should I not leave in a hot car?
There are quite a few things you shouldn’t leave in a hot car, according to Geico and Capital Insurance Group:
Is it OK to leave a dog in a hot car?
In a word, no.
Unless you really need to take your animal with you, opt to leave your pet safely at home. The American Veterinary Medical Association says to “never leave your pet alone in a parked vehicle, no matter what the outdoor temperature or how long you think you’ll be gone.”
Cracking the windows makes no difference when temperatures inside the vehicle are rising quickly.
How long can a baby be in a hot car?
As stated above, cars can heat up rather quickly.
Heatstroke is one of the leading non-crash vehicle-related fatalities among children, according to the NHTSA. It can occur when a child is left in a hot vehicle, which causes their body temperature to rise quickly and dangerously.
A core body temperature of 107 degrees is lethal.
“It is never okay to leave a child alone in or around a car for any reason,” the NHTSA website states.
Dina Kaur of the Arizona Republic contributed to this story
Francesca Abarca is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at fabarca@gannett.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 12 things you shouldn’t leave in your car in hot weather in Florida
Reporting by Francesca Abarca, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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