Hot Day Hazards: 7 Things To Avoid Leaving In Your Car

It's summertime, and you know what that means, scorching hot days that can turn your car into an oven on wheels. We've all been guilty of leaving stuff behind in our cars, but when the temperatures start rising, there are a few things you absolutely shouldn't leave baking in there.

Last year, Consumer Reports performed a series of temperature tests within enclosed vehicles at CR's Auto Test Track in Colchester, Conn. The objective was to gain a better understanding of how quickly the temperature inside a car can escalate to unsafe levels. These experiments were conducted using precision measuring instruments.

During one of the tests, which took place on a June day with an average outside temperature of 61°F, the interior of a parked car surpassed 105°F within the first hour.

On a different occasion in July, with an average outside temperature of 78°F, the interior of a lighter-colored sedan reached over 104°F during a one-hour test period. Simultaneously, the interior of a dark-colored sedan climbed to more than 109°F.

Consumer Reports provided the temperature readings after one hour of testing. However, it's important to note that the interior temperatures continued to rise as time elapsed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a warning stating that even on a seemingly mild day of around 60°F, the temperature inside a vehicle can dangerously escalate to 110°F over the course of several hours.

Life can get hectic, and sometimes we forget stuff in our cars. But when the temperatures rise, let's avoid turning our cars into hotboxes of doom. It'll save you from unnecessary headaches and ensure your stuff stays in tip-top shape.

The next time you hop out of your car, do a quick scan to make sure you're not leaving behind anything that'll suffer from the heat. Here are seven items that you should avoid leaving in your car on a scorching hot day.