Overview

• An ADAC test confirmed that a simple half-garage cover can lower interior temperatures by up to 10 °C compared with full sun exposure.
• Drivers are advised to open windows with the fan on high to purge hot air, then close them and switch the air conditioning to recirculation for swift cooling.
• Heat-sensitive items including electronics, pressurized cans, medicines, cosmetics and plastic cards risk failure, deformation or fire when cabin temperatures rise above 60 °C.
• Under Germany’s Notwehr-Paragraf, bystanders may legally break a car window to rescue a trapped child if the owner cannot be located.
• Twenty automakers have pledged to equip all new US models with rear-seat reminder systems by 2025 to alert drivers to any passengers left behind.