Ford video reveals dangers of leaving kids, pets in parked cars

Never leave children or pets inside a hot car

If there's one thing you should never do, it's to leave your kids or furry friends in the back seat of a vehicle without the air-conditioning running. Not only is it irresponsible, but it could lead to death or serious injury. Don't believe us? Well, if the number of news articles isn't enough, Ford recently released a video showing just how hot it can get inside a parked car under the summer sun.

In the video, Ford simulated hot-weather conditions in its Weather Factory in Cologne, Germany, using a Ford Focus Active station wagon. Don't worry, the automaker didn't put a baby or a pet inside during the test. Instead, they used an ice sculpture in the form of a kid to represent a child secured in the car seat together with an ice sculpture of a dog at the rear.

During the experiment, Ford kept the exterior temperature at a steady 35 degrees Celsius, similar to temperatures you'd expect on a summer day in Europe. Not surprisingly, the temperatures inside the Focus were hotter. In less than 20 minutes, the temperature inside already reached 50 degrees Celsius. No doubt the ice sculptures started melting. So yes, in just a short time, the temperatures of a vehicle can get extremely dangerous for any occupant, more so a pet or a child. The intense temperature could cause occupants to experience heat stroke and cause other injuries to a child's internal organs, leading to their possible death.

If Ford did the same test in the Philippines, the temperature reading could be even higher given how hot the summers are in the country. On a regular day, it's already common to experience 35-degree weather. In the summer, it constantly hits the 40-degree mark depending on where you are in the country. With that, we can only imagine how hot it gets inside a vehicle.

Manufacturers nowadays have several alert systems to prevent these occurrences from happening, Ford included. At the end of the day, however, it's the driver's responsibility to make sure that kids and pets aren't left behind inside a car.