Three Things You Should Never Leave in a Car When it’s Hot Out
In San Diego, temperatures reach from 70 to 80 degrees in the hot summer months. In a vehicle with the windows up, temperatures can climb to 160 degrees or higher – enough to fatally injure a child or pet. Leaving certain things in the car when it’s hot outside can have devastating consequences. Stay safe this summer by taking these things with you when you leave your vehicle.
Children
There are many reasons you shouldn’t leave children in an unattended motor vehicle, but confining them in a vehicle in the heat can qualify as child endangerment. California follows “Kaitlyn’s Law,” stating that if a person responsible for a child 6 years old or younger leaves the child in a motor vehicle unsupervised under health-threatening conditions, the courts can fine and/or imprison the guilty parent or guardian.
Children cannot withstand the intense heat that occurs within a locked car. Children’s bodies produce more heat than adults’ bodies do, and their abilities to cool through sweat are not as developed. Within minutes in a hot car, even with the windows down, a child can suffer hyperthermia, overheat, and suffer heat stroke. Heat stroke overwhelms the brain’s thermoregulation, leading to brain damage and/or death. The fine for leaving a child in a hot car is $100, but the price of losing a child’s life is immeasurable.
Pets
You may want to take your furry friend with you on your summertime adventures, but make sure your pets can leave the car with you when you arrive at your destination. Leaving animals in parked cars, even with the windows cracked, can prove fatal in the summer. Plan your trip around pet-friendly restaurants and attractions. If you get stuck, consider going through a drive-through.
In California, it is illegal to leave or confine an animal in a motor vehicle in weather conditions that are too hot or cold, as well as in any conditions that may harm the animal’s wellbeing due to lack of food or water. If an animal suffers bodily injury while stuck in a hot car, the courts will impose a fine of up to $500 and/or up to six months’ imprisonment in county jail. For a first conviction, if the animal did not sustain injury, fines do not exceed $100 per animal.
Medications
If you keep medications in your center console or glove box, relocate them for the summer. High temperatures can change the efficiency and potency of drugs. If you read the labels of most prescription and over-the-counter medications, it advises you to keep medications in room temperatures – around 75 to 77 degrees. Any hotter, and you risk losing the effectiveness of your medication.
For pills like aspirin, this may not be a life-threatening issue. However, if you keep important medications such as nitroglycerin in your vehicle, the result can be fatal. If you suffer chest pains, pull out your nitroglycerin treatment, and it doesn’t work because of the high temperatures, you could die. Different drugs are more sensitive to temperature than others are. Check the labels on your prescription drugs, and store them somewhere other than you vehicle.
Call Liljegren Law Group – Your Local Personal Injury Attorneys
If your child suffered a personal injury or wrongful death from being locked in a hot car under someone else’s watch, you have the right to demand compensation. At Liljegren Law Group, we sincerely hope we never have to see you because of a child injury. However, if you’re in need of legal advice concerning a child or personal injury case, contact us for a free case evaluation. We can help you navigate the complex legal waters of child injury.