WATCH: Leanne Page’s Hot Car Experiment… DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!

We hear it every summer… Another heartbreaking story about a child or pet left in a hot car. Despite all the warnings, people still say “Oh I’ll just be a minute,” or “I left the window cracked.” So we made this video to prove a point. It is NEVER okay under ANY circumstances to leave a person or pet inside a vehicle.

When we filmed this video it wasn’t an extremely hot or sunny day. And while I managed to get through 30-minutes without passing out, (thanks to hot yoga!), people in the “Vulnerable Sector”, including children and seniors, do not have the same ability to regulate their body temperatures. And even though dogs can by panting, with no air circulation, within minutes it can lead to heat exhaustion, brain damage, or worse.

WARNING: This experiment was made possible by the County of Simcoe Paramedic Services, and the ONLY way I would have done it was with trained medical professionals on stand-by.  

** DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!! **

County of Simcoe Paramedic Services were full of valuable information. While we couldn’t include everything in the video, here’s some of the information they shared:

• How long is too long to leave a person or pet inside a vehicle?
  • Any amount of time is too long. The interior of a vehicles temperature can reach unsafe levels within minutes.
• Is it okay to do so if you park in the shade, or leave a window cracked?
  • No, it is never okay. Even with the windows down and in the shade the vehicles interior temperature will rise to unsafe levels.
• How to treat someone with heat exhaustion?
  1. Get to a shady or air-conditioned place.
  2. Cool off with damp sheets and a fan.
  3. Take a cool shower or bath.
  4. Rehydrate.
  5. Don’t drink sugary or alcoholic beverages to rehydrate.

UPDATE: Here’s how I felt a few minutes after coming out of the car…