ROANOKE, Va. – In this extreme heat, health experts are warning people to never leave anyone unattended in a hot car, especially kids, pets and the elderly.
It only takes minutes for someone to overheat, which can lead to heatstroke, permament organ damage or death.
Whether you're parked in the sun or the shade, for a minute or 20, it's never OK to leave anyone in a car, said Jill Lucas, Safe Kids Coordinator at Carilion Children's Hospital.
"Because our vehicles heat up so much quicker than what the temperature is outside," Lucas said. "Very quickly, a child's internal body temperature can raise to where it's going to be causing some internal damage or even death."
According to the National Safety Council, last year marked a deadly record. Fifty-two children died in hot cars in 2018. So far in 2019, there have been 21 deaths.
"IÂ think we all know that when we get in our cars it feels warm, but IÂ don't think people realize exactly how warm it is," Lucas said. "The interior of your vehicle can be anywhere from 100, 120, 150 degrees and that's very, very dangerous."
So you don't forget your kid is in the back seat, leave your purse or cellphone in the back when your child is in the car and put a stuffed animal in the front seat as a visual reminder.
"We absolutely do not want anybody out in vehicles when it's hot out like this," Lucas said.
If you see someone, like a child or a pet, unattended in a hot car, there's a new Virginia law that protects you if you break in to save their life.