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Action News puts hot cars to the test

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News tested a car left out in the hot sun and in just minutes the temperatures went off the charts. Danielle Kessenger is a child safety expert for Safe Kids Northeast Florida. Using a small sensor inside her car, she showed us how quickly conditions can deteriorate.

Outside temperature read 98 degrees, inside the reading was already at 103 degrees. In just 15 minutes, the temperature quickly rose and shortly after that, we were forced to stop. The sensor was so hot it shut off but before it did, the temperature inside soared to 140 degrees.

"People don't realize that just 10 minutes on a 70-degree day it can raise 20 degrees in the vehicle," said Kessenger.

On Tuesday, police said a Yulee toddler was left in a hot car for four hours. It happened around 10 a.m. when temperatures were in the mid 80s. No matter where you park or the time of day, the sun's rays are just too strong.

"It was parked in the shade and it still got to 111 degrees," said Kessenger.

And experts said cracking the windows won’t help either. It doesn't take much for a child to die in these conditions.

"At about 104 degrees core temperature for the child, your organs start to fail," said Kessenger.