Does My Car’s Broken A/C Put Me at Risk for a Heat Stroke?

YES!  A heat stroke occurs when an individual’s body temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit. This can occur as a result of physical exertion or exposure to high temperature environments.

Since the temperature inside of a vehicle can reach up to 40 degrees above the temperature outside, it is common for the cabin of your vehicle to reach upwards of 130 degrees during the summer months. Dark, hard surfaces inside your vehicle, such as the steering wheel and dashboard, can reach up to 180 degrees!

Parking your car in the shade or leaving the windows cracked does little to prevent the inside of your car from succumbing to the blistering heat.

To make matters worse, you are more susceptible to heat-related illness, including heat stroke, when your environmental temperature change rapidly. This means that your normal, end-of-day routine of leaving your air-conditioned workplace and getting in your sweltering car to drive home puts you at an even greater risk.

With the first day of summer right around the corner, now is the time to have your car’s air conditioning system serviced to ensure that you have a SAFE and COOL summer.