Any August day. Around noon. You could fry an egg on the asphalt. Your car parked in the middle of a piece of wasteland. You have to go up to your car, and you don’t want to die of heat instantly. You open the door and get hit with a blast of hot air from inside the car. You touch the steering wheel; it’s boiling. You touch the gear stick, third-degree burn. Hell on earth.
You’ve probably experienced this sequence of events more than once during the summer. No one is spared from the heat when driving during the summer months. In this article, we take a look at some ideas to keep the inside of your car from getting hot as hell, and some driving tips to keep you safe during these days with the highest temperatures.
Life is better in the shade
It may seem like a no-brainer, but the first step to making sure your car doesn’t become hot as hell is to try and park it in the shade. Don’t go for the first free parking space you find if it’s in the sun, take your time and find someplace in the shade.
Blessed sunshades
The reflective sunshade for the front windscreen was a classic in the 90s and early 2000s, but nowadays we don’t see as many of them as we should.
The windscreen is the largest glass surface area of the whole car and can cause a strong greenhouse effect. Having a reflective sunshade reduces the entry of sun rays and reflects them.
Temperatures will drop a few degrees, and it also helps preserve leather and plastic materials inside the car.
Airing the car’s interior
Even if it’s sweltering, roll down the windows and get rid of the hot air inside the car when you start driving and then wait a couple of minutes before turning on the air-con. Your car’s energy consumption will be much higher if you have not expelled the hot air inside the car beforehand.
Another faster trick is to open the co-driver’s window, and forcefully open and close the driver’s door several times. This creates a vacuum, and the subsequent pressure pushes the hot air out of the car through the window.
Tips to prevent burns
There’s a very simple way to avoid burning your hands with the steering wheel: turn the steering wheel, so the top faces the bottom each time you park or stop the car.
You’ll receive much less direct heat from the front windscreen, and the temperature will be lower. If you don’t want to burn your buttocks and legs, just place a blanket, towel, or a piece of material of average density on top of the seat to absorb much of the heat. This way, you avoid the burning sensation when you sit down.
Technology to the rescue
This is only applicable to big-budget cars with advanced technology. Some models have functions to control the air con remotely.
This is done with mobile applications that allow you to have the car at an optimal temperature minutes before you get in it.
Driving with flip-flops and t-shirt
Contrary to what many people believe, it’s not expressly forbidden to drive when wearing flip-flops. This, however, doesn’t mean we recommend them for driving.
It’s not the ideal shoe for driving in any case, as they can slip or even get caught between the pedals.
Even if the heat is intense, going without a t-shirt isn’t going to make you feel any more refreshing, and you’ll also risk getting heat burns from the seat belt.
Also, don’t forget your sunglasses. They are not obligatory in any case, but highly recommendable to avoid having the sun in your eyes or reduce the glare from the asphalt.
