Keeping Your Vehicle Cool During the Summer
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton car accident attorney. Summer is an exciting time of the year to head outdoors and explore new places with your friends or loved ones. While the summer season encourages us all to get out and be active, the scorching sun can be dangerous, especially in our vehicles. Depending on how humid, sunny or hot it is outside, the inside of a vehicle can be up to nearly 20 to 30 degrees warmer than that of outside temperatures. Whether leaving your car parked at work or going out with friends and family, there are many ways to beat the heat and keep your vehicle cool during those hot summer days.
How to Keep Your Car Cool in the Heat
Vehicles tend to trap heat due to sun exposure, causing internal temperatures to increase dramatically. Reducing the amount of heat from entering your car is crucial in maintaining cooler temperatures and may be done so by:
- Sun Shades: These can assist in blocking direct rays from the sun from entering a vehicle and keeping temperatures slightly lower;
- Steering Wheel: Even if a sun shade is used, it is also a good idea to place a small towel over your steering wheel to prevent your steering wheel from heating up;
- Dash Cover: An upholstered or fabric dash can go a long way towards maintaining your vehicle’s interior from sun damage like fading and cracking. By using these covers, you don’t have to worry about burning yourself from hot vinyl surfaces when getting into your car;
- Tinted Windows: Although these can be more expensive, these can help in blocking the sun and protect your skin from sun damage while driving. Before having your windows darkened, keep in mind that the luminous transmittance cannot be less than 35 percent, according to California Vehicle Code section 26708.2;
- Parking: If you do not have a sun shade or tinted windows, a useful alternative may be to park in a shaded area or at an angle where the rear window facing the sun. Parking like this may assist in keeping the front seats and steering wheels slightly cooler;
- Cracked Windows: Since windows can keep warm air inside, try to leave your windows and sunroof slightly open when leaving your vehicle parked for extended periods of time. This can serve as a way of creating airflow and reducing your risk of vehicle window glass explosions.
Keeping Your Vehicle Seats Cool
Drivers can face pain or even be left with burn injuries when getting into a car with scorching seats. When looking for a new vehicle, you may want to consider cloth seats rather than leather to avoid this issue. If your vehicle has leather seats, try using a towel or cloth seat cover to prevent them from overheating during the summer.
Vehicle Air Conditioning
If you do not use your vehicle’s air conditioner efficiently, you may find yourself waiting longer for your car to reach a cooler temperature. To improve the cooling ability of your vehicle, lower your rear windows for 10 to 20 seconds and turn your air conditioner on to full blast when you begin driving. This can help in pushing the heat out of your vehicle and keeping the cool air in. When you have reached your ideal temperature, turn on the recirculating feature on your climate control settings to maintain a cool temperature.
Stockton Car Accident Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton car accident attorney. If you have been seriously injured in an auto accident, I can provide you with free, friendly legal advice about your case. Please feel free to contact me any time at (209) 227-1931 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400.
I have helped the Stockton community and surrounding areas with obtaining fair compensation for traumatic injury and wrongful death claims since 1982.
To read reviews and comments by my former clients and peers, please visit:
As a California member of the Million Dollar Advocates, I join other trial lawyers around the nation who have demonstrated client verdicts or settlements in excess of $1 million.
For information about prior cases and their results, go to my Verdicts and Settlements page.
Photograph Credit: By “rezaqorbani” via Pixabay under CC0 Creative Commons
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