Watch: UAE residents left inside hot car for 10 minutes in social experiment; here’s what happened

Watch: UAE residents left inside hot car for 10 minutes in social experiment; here’s what happened

It is part of a child safety campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles

Published: Thu 10 Aug 2023, 5:38 PM Last updated: Thu 10 Aug 2023, 5:48 PM

Imagine being locked in a parked car when the outdoor temperature is between 40-45°C. In a few minutes you will experience dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea, and with significant decrease in oxygen level, the situation could even lead to death.

This was highlighted in a controlled social experiment conducted by Child Safety Department (CSD) in Sharjah, cautioning parents, teachers, and caregivers against the dangers of leaving children unattended in closed vehicles, particularly during summer.

While daytime temperatures in the UAE during summer averaged between 40 and 45°C, inside locked cars, temperatures can quickly escalate by additional 20°C in less than 10 minutes, which is extremely dangerous to anyone.

Leaving someone in a hot car can cause heat stroke with severe symptoms like neurological dysfunction, nausea, disorientation, seizures, hyperthermia, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances. This may lead to cardiac arrhythmias, respiratory difficulties, and even death, concluded the 8-hour social experiment called ‘Look before you lock,’ conducted in partnership with Sharjah Police and Sharjah Civil Defence.

How the experiment was done

Adult participants endured confinement for