In coordination with Gulf News, two doctors from Emirates Hospital demonstrated (through direct experience) how much heat a human body can withstand inside a parked car under the sun without any air conditioning. Hot car interiors, especially in a region like the UAE (where temperatures can reach to high 40s), can cause long, painful deaths for children in particular.
Dr. Asanji Winston, Head of the Emergency Medicine Department at Emirates Hospital, compared the experience to “being baked in the oven”.
It took the team of 4 (two doctors, a reporter and a videographer) only 20 minutes to become soaked in sweat followed by rapid heartbeats and breathing problems. Dr. Abeer Khayat, Consultant Pediatrician at Emirates Hospital, commented that children cannot withstand a hot car for more than a few minutes as their temperature regulation system is not developed enough and their bodies heat-up 3 to 5 times faster than adults. The younger they are, the less they can tolerate.
This awareness campaign was initiated after an event in June, where two Emirati girls (aged 2 and 4) died after being locked in their family car. The Dubai Police has reported that 177 children were locked in cars in 2015.
Every motorist must remember this; never leave kids inside a hot car no matter what. Check the infographic below to acquaint yourself with the dangers.
This ad shows what 15 minutes in a hot car does to your baby.