Photo by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom — A hot May sun, a dangling pair of sunglasses and a gaping hole in the windshield were all clues leading a Nottinghamshire driver to realize that they had inadvertently created a death ray in their car, The Sun reported this week.
Fire and rescue services in the central England city were on-hand last Saturday, the U.K.’s hottest day of the year so far, attending to a scorched vehicle with a large hole melted into the windshield, in addition to a significant amount of burnt plastic on the steering wheel and dashboard.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Services took to Twitter to remind drivers of the dangers that reflective items pose during hot summer days.
The sun has been strong but beware this can cause fire ⚠️
Earlier we attended a fire caused by sunglasses left on the dashboard.
Make sure you keep reflective objects out of direct sunlight ✅ pic.twitter.com/RFp2TaEFZL
— Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (@nottsfire) May 27, 2023
Few might expect the relatively small amount of glare produced by a pair of sunglasses to be able to do so much damage, but the proof speaks for itself. A glasses pouch or cup holder should do the trick.