Originally Posted by nannyde:
Brilliant post
I do wonder, if your hypothesis shows contributing factors why we don't see the same number of deaths in the deep winter in the cold states?
My guess is a large part of it is the thermodynamics of the situations. The very thing that makes cars so lethal in summer (well insulated, absorbing large amounts of solar energy through windows) is a benefit in the winter. Cars probably cool down slower than they heat up. Plus even though they shouldn't, many/ most parents put kids in car seats wearing coats, further insulating the child.
Look at it this way- Lets say a person spends one hour in a car in a parking lot that changed 40 degrees from room temperature. In the summer that is 112 degrees, which can be lethal quickly to a child. In the winter that is 32 degrees- still potentially lethal, but at a much slower rate. It also reached 112 much faster than it reached 32, meaning more time at extreme temps. Plus in the summer you add the additional aspect of dehydration due to heavy sweating.