Upper Hutt woman's car seat burn a warning for motorists to stay vigilant says Automobile Association

Upper Hutt woman's car seat burn a warning for motorists to stay vigilant says Automobile Association
Photo credit: Facebook

The Automobile Association (AA) says an Upper Hutt woman's unusual car seat burn is a good reminder to stay safe over summer.

Denise Whiteman and her husband used suction cups to attach a BP "Thank You" sign to the back of their car. When the sign fell off, they left the suction cups on.

Pictures posted to Facebook by Whiteman show a number of dark scorch marks on the back seat of her husband's car. She says the suction cups magnified the sunlight and caused the seat to burn.

"Be aware, in our summer heat this could easily cause a car fire!" wrote Whiteman.

The AA told Newshub while Whiteman's experience is not common, it is important to stay vigilant.

"We've not heard of this happening before, with sunlight having the 'magnifying' effect on rubber suction cups," they said on Monday.

"As isolated an incident as it may sound, it does highlight the importance of shielding items on the inside of the car from the harsh effects of sun this summer."

The spokesperson said they personally had seen their Baby on Board sign melt in the back of their car due to the intense heat over the past few weeks.

In another incident, a man's towel and boat seat were scorched due to sunlight being magnified through suction cups left on a window.

Upper Hutt woman's car seat burn a warning for motorists to stay vigilant says Automobile Association
Photo credit: Reddit

Photos posted to Reddit in 2016 showed a hole in a beach towel and small burns on the fabric of the seat.