When the heat makes an appearance, a car parked in the sun can become a real oven. The enclosed space can heat up to 60ºC, which is far from the temperature recommended inside the vehicle by the General Directorate of Traffic. The organization directed by Pere Navarro advises that the cabin be between 22 and 24 degrees. Much higher figures can affect driving ability.
Various studies echoed by the DGT point out that excessive heat increases the risk of an accident by 20%. High temperatures can increase feelings of fatigue, drowsiness and dizziness, while making us take longer to react, make more mistakes, be less alert, and be more clumsy and aggressive in manoeuvres.
As if this were not enough, we see worse with the heat, so that we do not perceive traffic signs or other obstacles on the road well. In fact, the Spanish Foundation for Road Safety (FESVIAL) points out that driving with a temperature above 35 degrees in the car is equated to the effects that a breathalyzer of between 0.5 gr/l and 0.8 gr/l can produce.
Therefore, if we want to avoid accidents, we must cool the vehicle sufficiently before starting the journey. The fastest option is to turn on the air conditioning and open the windows for a few minutes to let out the hot air. However, some vehicles are so old that they do not have this feature. Others have broken air conditioning and others, on the other hand, have it enabled, but prefer not to activate it to prevent colds or save fuel. For any of these circumstances, there is a method that is as simple as it is effective to cool the passenger compartment by ten degrees in record time without the need to use the air conditioning system.
The trick, introduced to you by a Japanese teacher, involves rolling down the front passenger window, then opening and closing the driver's door quickly and forcefully five times. It is as if the interior of the vehicle is being fanned. These movements will help the air to circulate and the hot mass trapped inside the passenger compartment to dissipate.
Of course, be careful with those movements of the door if you are parked in a parking lot next to other vehicles or on a sidewalk where many people pass. In this case, you can always move the car around a bit to make sure nothing gets in the way of the door.
