WASHINGTON – So, how hot does it get inside a parked car? And how fast does it happen?

In a video that’s gotten thousands of views in the past few days, veterinarian Ernie Ward put himself in a parked car on a breezy 95-degree day to find out. He got into a minivan with all the windows cracked about an inch and recorded the temperature and his discomfort.

After five minutes, he said, “it is unbelievable hot in here … I can tell you it is stifling. Even with all four windows cracked, there is no breeze at all.”

At just 10 minutes, it was 106 degrees, and he says “I can barely stand it.” A disheveled Dr. Ward says it’s “frustrating” to see the trees swaying in the breeze and not feel any relief. “I’m beginning to wonder if this was a very bad idea.”

At 25 minutes, a fully drenched Dr. Ward says, “The only thought that’s going through my head is, this is awful.”

At the 30-minute mark, it was over 115 degrees.

Dr. Ernie Ward says he wanted to experience what pets go through – he called it “an eye-opening experience” – and the lesson applies to kids as well.

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