Transcript
(Matt)
Hi, I'm Matt and I'm an investigator for Transport Canada.
(Darryl)
And I'm Darryl. I'm also investigator with Transport Canada, and we're here today at the Motor Vehicle Safety Investigation Laboratory and Gatineau, Quebec. And we're doing an experiment to see how hot a vehicle gets and the dangers it poses to children and pets in the back seat.
(Matt)
We've installed a number of sensors in the vehicle to measure the temperature change with the first sensor placed on the dashboard in direct sunlight. And then in the back of the vehicle, we've placed a crash test dummy in a child restraint.
(Darryl)
On the child we've placed sensors, one directly on the chest clip of the car seat to measure the body temperature of the child. And we installed another sensor in the air above the head of the child to measure the temperature of the air change in the vehicle.
Additionally, to that, we've also installed a sensor on the roof of the vehicle to measure the outside temperature so we can do a comparison of the ambient temperature to how high the temperature rises within the vehicle.
The results we got from this experiment really show how quickly the temperature rises to dangerous levels when the vehicle is left unattended. Many people don't realize that all the glass creates the greenhouse glass effect inside the vehicle and it can unexpectedly leave rise to a lot higher temperatures inside the vehicle than it is on the outside. You may have driven there with the air conditioning on, but once you shut that vehicle off and close the doors, the temperature inside the vehicle can get dangerously high very rapidly.
(Matt)
The child's body temperature can rise 3 to 5 times faster than an adult with heatstroke setting in in minutes leading to serious harm or death.
(Darryl)
This type of heatstroke is avoidable. Make a habit of always looking into the back seat before you lock your vehicle. And if you see a child unattended, call 911 as it could save a life. Remember never to leave your child unattended in the vehicle.
Text-on-screen
Matt Rose
Investigator Automotive
Transport Canada
Darryl Malone
Investigator Automotive
Transport Canada
This was a demonstration only. Results may vary based on multiple factors.
Inside
Outside
Child Seat
Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature is higher than 40c. This can lead to serious injury or death.