Driving in the heat. Let's not overdo the air conditioning and take breaks in the journey

Many drivers are afraid of long trips in winter. Reasons - adverse weather conditions - frost, snow, ice. However, summer travel is also dangerous - both for passengers and for the car.

Theoretically, sunny hot weather should not adversely affect road conditions. After all, the road surface is dry, and visibility is poor. However, this is only a theory, since in practice, drivers and passengers are exposed to many inconveniences in hot weather. Heat affects the state of the human body. Concentration drops, fatigue sets in faster. Therefore, you need to prepare for the summer trip and follow certain rules.

Air conditioning is now standard on almost every car. But you can only take advantage of it when it works.

– Before you go on holiday, make sure the air conditioner is working properly. Do not forget to periodically change the cabin filter, top up the coolant, which is reduced by 10-15 percent annually, and disinfect the installation, advises Radosław Jaskulski, Skoda Auto Szkoła coach.

Use conditioner in moderation. Some drivers choose the lowest level of cooling, which often leads to colds due to too much temperature difference between the interior and the outside. The optimal setting of the air conditioner should be 8-10 degrees Celsius lower than the temperature outside the car.

It is also important to direct the vents. Do not blow strong cool air directly on your face. It is better to direct them towards the windshield and side windows.

Air conditioning is also important in summer rain. “If we turn on the air conditioner, we will not only get rid of the water vapor from the windows, but also dry the air in the car,” notes Radoslav Jaskulsky.

Doctors advise drinking at least 2 liters of fluid per day in hot weather. This applies to both drivers and passengers. The sun also works through the car windows. However, keep only small bottles of water in the cabin. - A large bottle, if not secured, can be dangerous for the driver and passenger in the event of sudden braking, says the coach of Skoda Auto Szkoła.

On long trips, it's good to make a few stops. When parking the car, let's look for a shade so that the interior of the car does not heat up when parking. And after stopping, before continuing the journey, ventilate the cabin by opening all the doors for a few minutes.

In hot weather, motorway driving can be especially painful. Such routes are almost always exposed to strong sunlight. For this reason, driving on the motorway can be extremely tiring for the driver, then concentration is reduced and errors occur, such as lane deviation. To prevent such incidents, automakers are equipping their vehicles with track control systems. In the past, systems of this type were used in higher-end vehicles. Currently, they are also in cars of popular brands such as Skoda. This manufacturer has a track monitoring system called Lane Assist. The system operates at speeds above 65 km/h. If the car is approaching the lines drawn on the road and the driver does not turn on the turn signals, the system will warn him with a slight correction of the track on the steering wheel.

Although electronics ensure driving safety, according to Radosław Jaskulski, the driver must be as focused in hot weather as when driving on slippery surfaces in winter.