Hot Car Fatalities Are a Year-Round Threat to Children and Pets
CR's testing shows it doesn't take hot weather for them to wind up in danger
Parents and others must remain vigilant about the ongoing danger of children and pets dying in hot cars, because heatstroke can be a four-season threat in some parts of the country. About 37 children die each year from vehicular heatstroke, according to KidsAndCars.org and NoHeatStroke.org. Heatstroke is the leading cause of death in vehicles (excluding crashes) for those 14 and younger.
There were 29 hot car deaths in 2023, according to KidsandCars.org. In most cases, the children were unknowingly left behind in the vehicle. As families transition from winter to spring, it’s important to remember that research shows these tragedies can happen to anyone.
Historically, about a quarter of hot car deaths are the result of the child gaining access to the car on their own, according to NoHeatStroke.org. As temperatures rise and more kids are playing outside, parents and caregivers need to be extra mindful of their children’s whereabouts. And they need to keep vehicles locked in the garage or driveway, and the keys out of children’s reach. Even if you don’t have children, it’s important to take those precautions to protect neighboring families.
If your child is missing, always remember to first check your pool, if you have one, and then your vehicle, including the trunk.
CR's Test Findings
Consumer Reports conducted several temperature tests inside closed vehicles at CR’s Auto Test Track in Colchester, Conn., to better understand how rapidly the rising cabin temperatures can become unsafe. The experiments were conducted with precision instruments.
On a June day when it averaged 61° F outside during the first hour of testing, the inside of a parked car reached more than 105° F.
On a July day when it averaged 78° F outside during a 1-hour test period, the inside of a lighter-colored sedan reached more than 104° F. And during the same 1-hour test period, the inside of a dark-colored sedan reached more than 109° F.
CR reported the readings at the end of an hour. But interior temperatures continued to rise as more time passed.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has warned that on a 60° F day—something akin to spring weather—the temperature inside a vehicle can reach a dangerous 110° F over the course of several hours.
The threshold for heatstroke in children is when the internal body temperature reaches about 104° F. And a child is at serious risk of death if their internal body temperature reaches 107° F, according to medical experts.
Heatstroke risk is a year-round threat in some regions with mild winters, including the South and Southwest.
Car Color and Temperature
The chart below demonstrates the rise in vehicle cabin temperature when CR tested the two sedans on a July day.
Why Cars Heat Up
Closed cars get hot quickly because sunlight heats up inside elements, including the dash, upholstery, and steering wheel, according to NoHeatStroke.org. Those elements radiate their heat into the air, increasing the ambient temperature inside the car.
Why don’t cracked windows help enough? Partly opened windows allow some heat to escape, says Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, but as long as the heat source (the sun) continues to beat down and heat up the inside car elements, the temperature can stay dangerously high.
CR's Take
Consumer Reports believes that automakers should integrate features that can detect children in the vehicle cabin and trigger an alert, and get the technology into as many models as they can, as soon as they can. Aftermarket products can fall short because they still depend on adults recognizing the risk and taking some sort of action.
"Automakers have demonstrated that it’s feasible to build integrated, protective systems into their vehicles. As these technologies advance, CR will evaluate them and advocate for strong standards to ensure that all new car buyers—not just those who pay for a premium upgrade package—get an effective detection-and-alert system they can rely on," says William Wallace, CR’s associate director of safety policy.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also endorses the integrated approach.
“Having something that is in the vehicle that is a default, that you would have to opt out of, is the right way to go about it,” says Elizabeth Murray, DO, an AAP spokesperson. “These are not people making malicious decisions to try to hurt their children. These are terrible accidents that are happening, so if we can make it default to take any human error out of it, then that is the right decision.”
Keeping Kids Safe From Hot Cars
Just how hot can the inside of a car get? On the “Consumer 101” TV show, Consumer Reports expert Emily Thomas, PhD, shows host Jack Rico how rapidly interior temperatures can rise—and what you can do to protect your kids.
