We’ve already had days where the temperature was in the upper 90s this Richmond spring and summer, all the reason you need to avoid leaving children or pets in parked cars. No doubt, we have more hot days ahead.

The temperature, however, does not need to hit 90 in Richmond to make it dangerous leaving children and pets in cars. 

Have you ever gotten into a car that was sitting in the sun and virtually burned your back on the seat? That’s hot. Really hot. Dangerously hot.

According to the INSIDER Website, approximately 39 children die of heatstroke each year in the U.S. because the children were left in hot car. 

In Illinois, it’s illegal to leave a child in a car unattended. According to statute 510ILCS70/7.1, it’s also illegal in Illinois to “Confine any animal in a motor vehicle in such a manner that places it in a life or health threatening situation by exposure to a prolonged period of extreme heat or cold, without proper ventilation or other protection from such heat or cold.”

Getting in trouble with the law, however, is the least of your concerns in this regard. No reasonable parent or pet owner wants to even consider the implications of what could happen to a child or pet they love in such a situation. But considering those implications is an important thing to do.

By considering what could happen, adults understand the risks and can take appropriate measures to protect children and pets.

Keep in mind that rolling down the windows a little is not sufficient. Even with the windows down a bit, the temperature inside a parked car can reach alarming levels. 

In 10 minutes, according to the INSIDER article, the temperature jumps 19 degrees. That means that, if the outside temperature is 70, it will reach 89 degrees in 10 minutes. But, if the outside temperature is 95, it will hit 114 in 10 minutes.

In 30 minutes, the temperature jumps 34 degrees. And, in an hour, it jumps 43 degrees. That means that, even if it’s a comfortable 70 degrees outside (roughly the temperature where most of us set our thermostats in our homes), it’s a dangerous 113 degrees in the car. And on a 95-degree day, after an hour, it reaches 138 degrees. 

It’s literally baking inside a car at that temperature. But such tragedies are easily averted if parents and pet owners take the simple precautions of not leaving children or pets in cars.

We’ll see more hot days in Richmond this summer. And we should enjoy those beautiful summer days while caring for those we love.