Heat? Turn on the air conditioner
Today we advise you on how to prepare your car and ... yourself for the road. Weather and temperature have a significant effect on drivers and this must be taken into account when going on a long holiday trip.
How to survive on a long journey? Drive calmly, do not advertise anything and do not treat any of the riders as competitors on the track. 
racing - experts advise. At the same time, they add, it is worth taking care of such mundane things as effective air conditioning and frequent rest. A long road, especially in the heat, can be very tiring.
“According to research, as the temperature rises, irritation and fatigue increase, concentration decreases and reaction times increase,” says Grzegorz Telecki from Renault Polska. Tests carried out in Denmark (National Institute of Occupational Health) also show that the driver's reaction time is increased by 22% when driving at 27°C compared to driving at 21°C. Thus, it is confirmed that driving without air conditioning is not only a chore, but also a greater risk for the driver. – Remember to maintain comfortable driving conditions, including the temperature. If the car is equipped with air conditioning, it is advisable to use it on hot days. In cars without such facilities, ventilation or sloping windows should be used, advises Zbigniew Veseli, director of the Renault driving school.
You also need to learn how to use the air conditioner. In the case of a hot car, it is best to open all doors or windows first to ventilate the interior. Then close everything tightly, turn on the internal circulation and interior cooling. Don't set the temperatures too low - for example, 18 degrees with an outside temperature of 30 degrees - because you can easily ... catch a cold. You also need to gradually increase the temperature in the cabin before the end of the trip to avoid heat stroke.
In general, weather and temperature have a significant impact on drivers and this needs to be taken into account. French researchers, noting an increase in the number of accidents during heat waves, gave one explanation for the shorter and shallower sleep due to high temperatures at night. – An overloaded driver is a hazard on the road, as fatigue has a negative effect on concentration and reaction time. It also causes the driver to misinterpret the signals, Renault driving school instructors explain. According to statistics, 10 to 15% of serious accidents occur due to driver fatigue.
Not only the driver suffers from the heat, but also the passengers. Staying in a closed, parked car, even when the temperature is low and only the sun shines, can be very dangerous to health and even life. In just 20 minutes, the temperature inside such a car can rise by 30 degrees. “Leaving a child or a pet in a parked car is unacceptable,” Renault driving school instructors warn.
What can be done to avoid such situations? The most important advice: take care of the "air conditioner", turn it on ... even in winter.
– The air conditioner must be used constantly, even on cold days we must turn it on for a while to prevent mold growth, explains Jacek Grycman, head of department at Pietrzak Sp. z oo – An unused air conditioner may emit unpleasant odors when switched on. In this situation, we need to take a few steps to make it clean and functional again. The dust filter needs to be replaced - we recommend doing this regularly, and not just in case of problems. It is also necessary to dry the ventilation ducts (e.g. vacuum) and disinfect the ventilation ducts. I would also recommend disinfecting the inside of the car, as fungus spores spread easily.
Moreover, a plant that has not been used for a long time is more prone to failure. Therefore, the driver should run it at least prophylactically (at least once a week for 15 minutes) to check its operation.
