Guide
Locked out of a hot car with a child or pet inside
Call 911 first. Then call a locksmith if you like, but don't wait for one. The National Weather Service says a closed car can go from safe to an unsafe 94.3°F in just over 2 minutes, and RDU averages 64 days a year at 90°F or hotter.
Do this now
- Call 911. Say a child or pet is locked in a car and give the exact location.
- Stay with the car and watch the child or animal.
- Try every door and the trunk release; check for a spare or the car's app.
- Follow the dispatcher's instructions about breaking a window.
How hot it gets
The National Weather Service's heat safety page says an average of 38 children die of heatstroke in vehicles each year, that a dark dashboard or seat can reach 180 to over 200°F, and that leaving the windows slightly open does not significantly slow the heating. It also says hyperthermia can happen on a mild day in the 70s.
Average days a month that reach 90°F or hotter, Raleigh-Durham International Airport
At RDU, 64 days a year reached 90°F or hotter on average from 2016 to 2025, up from 52 in 1991 to 2020. July averages 24 of them, with a typical high of 92°F (NOAA). The full data.
After it is over
If the keys are still in the car, roadside service can open it, or a locksmith. If the fob died, which is how a lot of these lockouts start, replace the battery on a schedule. If a push-to-start car locked itself with the fob inside, tell the dealer; that is not supposed to happen. Key fobs.
Questions people in Raleigh ask
Will the police or fire department open the car?
For a child or pet inside, yes. That is an emergency, and 911 will send help.
Can I break the window?
Follow the 911 dispatcher's instructions. A window costs far less than the alternative.