MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A demonstration at Children's Hospital Central California on Friday illustrated the dangers of leaving your child in a car -- especially as temperatures begin to climb.
The simulation used a baby doll, strapped inside a car seat. At the demonstration, a digital thermometer showed how hot it was outside -- and a separate reading showed how much warmer it is inside the car.
So far this year nine children have died of vehicular heatstroke in the United States, and in most of the cases, these deaths happened simply because they were forgotten in the car.
"This doesn't always happen during hot weather. Remembering that the car inside is about 40 degrees hotter than the outside so at 70 degrees you have 110 degree temperature within the vehicle," said Carlos Flores.
Parents are being reminded to never leave their children in the car, no matter how convenient it is, or no matter how cool they think it is outside. Experts say temperatures can rise 20 degrees inside a car in just ten minutes and a child's body temperature increases three to five times faster than an adults.