Californians can now legally break into cars to rescue animals

[FeedBot]

By now, everyone knows that it's a terrible idea to leave pets in cars, especially during the warmer months. And yet, we've all seen pets trapped in cars. Sometimes, owners crack their car windows thinking that will help keep interior temperatures low, but in fact, it doesn't do much. Even on a pleasant, 72-degree day, the temperature inside a car...

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[Professur]

I've tested this. My old Dodge Colt regularly topped 140f on a sunny day. A lesson I learned the hard way, loosing some skin in the process. My 1981Olds wagon on the other hand NEVER gets more than 15f higher than outside even with all windows tight and in full sun.

[Ringo64]

Was this test voluntary?

[Professur]

The test with the Colt wasn't. I'd just finished work in a hot warehouse. Got to the car, pulled off my sweat soaked shirt and jumped behind the wheel to get my  ass off to cool cottage country. I managed to get the door back open and leap out before I adhered to the vinyl seat, but not before taking enough damage to blister my back. Ever since then, I have a thermometer mounted on the dashboard that I eyeball before I jump in, and I never drive without a shirt on.

[Ringo64]

Yikes. Been in some hot cars here in FL but nothing that bad

[Professur]

The sun stays higher there. Here it's lower in the sky so instead of pounding down on the minimally insulated roof, it shoots straight in the glass .. and the colt had more glass than metal to start with. With the olds ... the glass is virtually flat so it lets less in, and reflects more away. Since that event I keep a thermometer in every car so I've a pretty good read on the issue. The 97 Transport with tinted glass was also remarkably cool. Leave the vent windows open and I'd have no worried about leaving a dog in there for a couple of hours. It definitely wouldn't get any hotter than it would leaving the animal at home.

That said, many electric cars at arriving with A/C that'll run all day.

Edited January 3, 2017 by Professur