How many times have you sat in your car in traffic on a hot day, with the sun streaming through the windows and either prayed for a hint of a breeze through the open glass or been horribly happy that you have air conditioning?
Climbing behind the wheel on a summer day can be like climbing into a sauna.
You can tell it's a hot one as soon as you open the car door and feel that rush of heat blast you in the face, much like opening the oven door.
Your car becomes like an oven in the summer sun.
It's something far too many people don't seem to remember when they leave their kids or their pets cooking inside while they just run out on that quick errand. It'll only take a minute. Really!
It will only take a minute. It will only take a minute to dangerously overheat your vehicle and imperil the child or dog inside.
There have been several horrific, high-profile cases of children dying in vehicles this summer south of the border.
With the weather we've had so far this July, it could easily happen here. It may be a bit of a hassle to get your kid out of the car seat and in to wherever it is you're going, but the alternative is unthinkable.
The same applies to pets, though we say just leave them at home.
They can love the car ride with you in the fall, winter and spring, but shutting them in your car in the hot summer sun is torture. It's cruelty.
You don't want to come back to your vehicle and find the living being your left now dead because you thought that cracking a window would be sufficient to ensure their well-being.
It is not.
Even on days that don't break the 30 degrees C mark there is significant danger.
Remember that your car gets a lot hotter than the air temperature.
In the case of dogs, they're wearing a fur coat and cannot even sweat to cool off.
The sole relief for them is through their paws and panting.
Your hot upholstery makes it unlikely they receive any relief through their paws.
Avoid having your trip to town turn into a tragedy.
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