In the relentless tropical heat, urban parking lots become akin to giant kilns. When the outside temperature reaches 35 degrees Celsius, a sealed vehicle’s interior can reach 45 degrees in just 10 minutes, surpassing 60 degrees after 30 minutes.
This is comparable to temperatures where cakes can be baked in an oven. The issue isn’t only discomfort; even everyday objects can be transformed into explosive hazards in such an environment. News stories of “small objects left in the car exploding” frequently surface every summer.
The most common yet most dangerous items are plastic water bottles and carbonated drinks.
Most drivers might keep a water bottle in their car without a second thought. However, transparent plastic bottles pose more of a threat than one might realize. When sunlight directly hits the bottle, it can act like a magnifying glass, concentrating sunlight onto a single point, potentially causing a fire when the focused heat contacts seat leather or the dashboard.
There’s also a health risk. Exposure to high temperatures for an extended period can cause microplastics and harmful chemicals to leach into the water from the plastic bottle. Research indicates that leaving a plastic water bottle in temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius for even a few days can increase microplastic levels significantly, along with releasing metal components like antimony or the hormone-disrupting chemical Bisphenol A (BPA).
Experts warn that consuming such water over time could pose significant health risks to adults, children, and pregnant women. Leaving water bottles in a car during summer doesn’t only mean they might be “warm and taste different”; their safety can be questionable.
Carbonated beverage cans pose another hazard. In high temperatures, the internal pressure rises sharply, causing the can to explode. The lid can become a projectile, breaking windows or causing severe interior contamination. Online communities are rife with stories about “cans of cola left in the car exploding and leaving sticky liquid all over the ceiling.”
Lighters and batteries are culprits of summer car fires.
Lighters are prime examples of items not to leave in a car during the summer. Even a small butane lighter, if the temperature exceeds 50 degrees, can have its internal pressure rise enough to explode. Especially when left on the driver’s dashboard under direct sunlight, the entire car could become engulfed in flames while you step away for a short while. Indeed, lighters have been pointed out several times as the cause of car fires in the country during the summer.
Electronic devices like power banks or wireless earphone cases are also unsafe. They all contain lithium-ion batteries that, when exposed to high temperatures, can undergo unstable chemical reactions resulting in fires or explosions. Leaving battery-powered items like electric scooters or electric toothbrush chargers in your car should be avoided.
Improper storage of medicines and cosmetics can render them useless.
Among the items easily left in a car are medications. However, most drugs like antipyretics, antibiotics, and antihypertensives are designated for “room-temperature storage.” Over 25 degrees Celsius, their efficacy diminishes, and experts advise against consuming medicines exposed to high temperatures.
Cosmetics face similar issues. Lipsticks can melt quickly, and spray-type cosmetics can explode due to increased gas pressure. Air fresheners or small deodorizers might face content alteration or container rupture at high temperatures. Trying to decorate your car’s interior during summer could inadvertently jeopardize your health.
Food—never, not even for a moment.
The most hazardous items during summer are indeed food. Items like lunch boxes, bread, and leftover drinks left in a car allow bacteria to multiply rapidly at interior temperatures. The risk of food poisoning can soar in just a few hours. Pet treats or water bottles are no exceptions. Water left in a hot vehicle can have bacteria grow much more rapidly than in a typical indoor environment.
Electronic devices and cards—you might lose data and money.
Electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, and cameras exposed to high temperatures for extended periods can suffer from internal circuit damage. There are frequent instances of batteries bulging or exploding. Devices like car navigation systems or black box memory cards can experience data damage at temperatures above 60 degrees, making recovery difficult. Plastic cards, like credit or transportation cards, can also warp or deform, rendering them unusable. It’s not just a financial issue; vital information might also be lost.
The solution: Adopt a principle of “leaving nothing in the car.”
Experts uniformly advise that “cars are meant for transportation, not storage.” A car interior exposed to extreme heat is literally a “mobile oven.” Just keeping windows slightly open is insufficient to prevent the internal temperature from rising. Ultimately, the safest approach is to cultivate the habit of taking even small items with you when you leave the car.
If necessary, utilizing iceboxes or car-specific cooling bags can help. Some drivers place summer essentials in the trunk, but bear in mind that trunks also heat up. Experts warn that thoughts like “It’s just for a moment” often lead to accidents. It’s essential to internalize the habit of leaving nothing behind in a car.
Small vigilance leads to large safety.
The car explosion and fire incidents that occur repeatedly every summer generally stem from minor negligence. Everyday objects like water bottles, lighters, and batteries turn into time bombs inside a vehicle during a heatwave. As extreme heat becomes a routine part of life, a slight increase in everyday caution marks the first step towards safety. It’s time to reassess what should never be left in your car during the summer.