The next heat wave is sure to come – and with it the risk of accidents will increase significantly again: According to Statistics Austria, 32,774 accidents occurred in road traffic in Austria last year – an average of 90 accidents a day.
But: According to a current analysis by the ÖAMTC motorists’ club, an average of 123 accidents per day were reported from May to September 2021, i.e. in the warmer season. On hot days with an outside temperature of 30 degrees and more, there were even an average of 150 accidents per day – almost a quarter more than on days below 30 degrees.
From 30 degrees, the aggression increases
“From around 30 degrees outside temperature, our body can be put into a kind of alarm mood, it then focuses mainly on cooling. Concentration and performance decrease,” says ÖAMTC traffic psychologist Marion Seidenberger. “A certain discomfort or even stress – and the associated aggression – increase in return.”
It is therefore important to keep the temperature in the car low. After all, if you park your vehicle in the blazing sun, the temperature on the dashboard surface can reach up to 60 degrees, even when the outside temperature is only 25 degrees Celsius. At 28 degrees it is even up to 70 degrees, the motorists club has measured.
To prevent this from happening in the first place, ÖAMTC technical expert Steffan Kerbl recommends using a cardboard sun visor that is placed behind the windscreen.
Protective cardboard or foil will help
An aluminum-coated film that is attached to the outside is even better. Both are simple and cheap and reduce the heating of the dashboard by 20 to 25 degrees, according to Kerbl. “Of course, the most effective means of quickly combating heat remains the air conditioning system. But protective cardboard or protective film should also be used in addition to this.”
Source: Nachrichten
