Legally, Can I Run My Car To Cool It Off In Montana?

With temperatures rocking a hundred degrees here in Montana, getting into your car can actually be a dangerous venture.

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Just How Hot Does It Get In My Car?

According to Good Calculator, it doesn't take long for the temperature in your rig to skyrocket. For example:

If it's 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the inside temperature of your car will be 104 degrees in as little as ten minutes. After about an hour, the interior temperature will be around 130 degrees.

If it's 95 degrees out, the inside temperature of your car will reach 114 degrees in the same ten minute window. After 60 minutes or more temperatures can climb to 140 degrees.

As the day progresses, the interior of our vehicles gets hotter and hotter. By the time you get off work and open the door on your rig, you can feel the waves of heat escaping from the open door. What can you do besides just waiting while you air it out?

Can I Legally Cool Off My Car In The Summer Like I Warm It Up In The Winter?

Yes. In 2017, the Montana Legislature made it legal to warm up your car in the winter. Before 2017, a person could be ticketed for leaving a car running, even if it was in their own drive-way.

It doesn't say it's ok to cool off your car, but I figure if it's ok to leave your vehicle running in the winter months to warm it up, the same would be true in the summer to cool it off.

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It goes ALMOST without saying that if you can't idle your vehicle locked, you shouldn't do it. It's just begging someone to steal your rig, and I don't think you'd get much sympathy from the police.

NEVER Leave These In Your Car During A Montana Summer

While you would expect most of this to be common sense and general knowledge, you'd be amazed how many people found out the hard way there are some things you should never leave in a hot vehicle. Since we're knee-deep into another hot Oklahoma summer, it's worth mentioning to those who don't know.