Car interiors become unbearably hot in a hurry, demonstration proves


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

WEST VALLEY CITY — Hot cars can prove dangerous and deadly for children, adults and pets. On Thursday, West Valley police officers and paramedics demonstrated how quickly a car can become an oven.

"We'll see how long it takes to get hot," said Officer Dana Pugmire as he got into an SUV parked in the blazing sun.

Pugmire has responded to calls with children locked in hot cars, but Thursday, he was the one feeling the heat. Outside it was 100 degrees.

"It builds quick, quicker than I thought it would," he said. "It's been about three minutes. The dash has gone from 105 (degrees) to 113."

After a few minutes, Officer Pugmire started to feel dramatic physical changes.

"It's been about five minutes," he said from inside the SUV. "I'm starting to sweat all over the place."

After 10 minutes, beads of sweat were visible on his face. The paramedics called that a good sign he wasn't experiencing heat stroke — yet.

According to research by KidsandCars.org, a national safety organization, an average of 37 children die each year in heat-related deaths in cars. Eight have died so far this year. Twenty years ago, when people had fewer distractions like cellphones, the problem was far less severe, with an average of a half-dozen fatalities each year. Ten children died in hot cars in Utah between 1990 and 2010, according to KidsandCars.

Officer Pugmire said he now knows how terrifying that would be.

"After experiencing just a little bit of this, I can't even imagine being stuck in here longer than you would have to," he said.


After experiencing just a little bit of this, I can't even imagine being stuck in here longer than you would have to.

–Officer Pugmire


Even responsible parents can make that mistake, said paramedic Mary Lindsay-Vonk, who was on hand to monitor Pugmire's health during the demonstration.

"In this day and age, we're busy: 'I just got a run into Wal-Mart for 15 minutes.' In that 15 minutes, you saw what happened to this adult," she said. "Imagine a kid."

After 13 minutes, the temperature inside exceeded 130 degrees.

"I'm sweating just everywhere," said Pugmire. "The steering wheel is hot. The dash is hot."

There's no escape from the stifling heat.

“When he got in, he was calm, cool and collected. But, near the end he got a little more agitated," said Lindsay-Vonk.

Children won't necessarily show those signs as quickly, she said, because their bodies don't thermoregulate, as well as an adult.

At 15 minutes, Pugmire got out of the SUV to cool down.

"That's a different kind of hot," he said. "Like, it almost takes your breath away hot. When you breathe, you can feel how hot it is."

The paramedic offers these tips:

  • If you see a child or a pet locked in a hot car, call 911
  • The 911 dispatcher can help you decide whether you need to break the window before help arrives
  • Once the child is out, get them in the shade, loosen their clothes and cool them down with a cold towel on the neck and hands. That cools the core
  • Give the child a cold drink. But, make sure they drink slowly, so their body can handle it

Related links

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

UtahFamily
Jed Boal

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast