Summer Car Safety Alert—5 Things You Should Never Leave Inside Your Vehicle

Lighters are among the most common items people carry in their pockets, bags, and vehicles. But they contain pressurized butane gas. When exposed to intense heat, this gas expands. If a lighter is left on your dashboard, near a window, or anywhere it’s exposed to direct sunlight, it can explode—causing fires, injuries, or severe damage to your car's interiors.

News reports globally have documented cases where cars caught fire due to lighters left inside. Often, the explosion cracks windshields or melts dashboard components.

Always remove lighters from your vehicle or store them in a temperature-controlled environment. Never leave them in the glovebox or near sunlight.


Most people keep a bottle of perfume, deodorant, or air freshener in their car for convenience. However, these are pressurized aerosol containers, designed to release a fine mist. Under high temperatures, the pressure inside these cans can rise dramatically. If the container ruptures, it can cause injury or even lead to a car fire.

Some perfumes are alcohol-based, making them highly flammable. If the spray leaks or explodes and comes in contact with a hot surface or spark, it could lead to a fire.

Even if it doesn’t explode, heat can degrade the scent and chemical composition of perfumes, making them useless or even harmful to use on the skin.

Store your perfumes and sprays in a bag you carry with you or keep them in a temperature-neutral area if absolutely necessary.


It might sound surprising, but glasses—especially prescription spectacles or sunglasses with convex lenses—can act like magnifying glasses. When sunlight passes through them, it can focus into a beam that’s hot enough to burn car upholstery or paper inside your car.

Heat can warp plastic frames, loosen screws, and damage anti-reflective or UV coatings on lenses. If you depend on prescription lenses, warping can also affect your vision and comfort.

In several reported cases, unattended glasses have started small fires by focusing sunlight onto flammable objects such as tissues or seat covers.

Keep glasses in a case and store them in your glove compartment or take them with you.


Power banks, like all lithium-ion batteries, are sensitive to heat. Exposing them to high temperatures can lead to swelling, leakage, or explosion. In some cases, the chemical reaction inside the battery becomes unstable, resulting in smoke, fire, or even a small-scale explosion.

Leaked battery chemicals are toxic and corrosive. They can damage car interiors and pose severe health risks if touched or inhaled.

The potential for fire increases if the power bank is charging while left in the hot car. The double strain of heat and electrical activity is a recipe for disaster.

Never leave a power bank, charger, or any lithium battery in a hot car. Take them with you or store them in insulated bags that limit temperature rise.


Plastic water bottles are often made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic that can leach harmful chemicals like BPA and phthalates when exposed to heat. If you drink from such a bottle after it's been sitting in the sun, you’re consuming water that may contain toxic compounds.

Studies suggest that these chemicals are endocrine disruptors. They mimic hormones and can lead to fertility issues, developmental problems, and even cancer with prolonged exposure.

Plastic bottles degrade faster under sunlight, increasing microplastic pollution if they break or leak inside the car.

There have been cases—though rare—where plastic bottles filled with water focused sunlight and started small fires inside cars, similar to how lenses do.

Use stainless steel or BPA-free reusable bottles and avoid leaving them in the car. If you must keep water in the car, change it regularly and don’t drink if the bottle has been exposed to sunlight for hours.

Even on a 35°C day, your car’s internal temperature can shoot up to over 60°C within just an hour. This happens due to the greenhouse effect—sunlight enters through the windows, heats the interior, and the heat gets trapped. Since there's minimal airflow, objects inside absorb and retain this heat, becoming hazardously hot.

Here's how long it takes for internal car temperatures to become dangerous:


This level of heat can not only damage objects but can also be deadly for children, pets, and even electronics.
Apart from the top five, here are some honorable mentions:

Leaving seemingly harmless items in your car during summer may feel like a small mistake, but the consequences can be serious. From fire hazards to chemical exposure, these dangers lurk silently, waiting for the right conditions to trigger damage. Being mindful and proactive can prevent injuries, car damage, and even health hazards.

Summer is for joy—not for accidents. Let’s keep it that way by making our vehicles safe zones, not danger traps.