We all know how the weather affects us when we’re outside on a hot, humid day. But did you know that hot and humid weather can impact your performance when you’re inside your car driving? Studies have shown a correlation between heat, humidity, and a greater likelihood of crashing your car.
In Tallahassee, where our climate is hot and humid for a large percentage of the year, it is important to understand the increased risks and steps you can take to protect yourself from heat-related car accidents.
Sunny Days are an Underrated Risk
When it’s stormy outside, drivers tend to operate their vehicles more cautiously—driving slower, monitoring road conditions, and allowing more room to stop. Or they stay off the roads entirely and wait for better weather.
On a sunny day, however, most people don’t think of the weather as risky. They don’t take into account the effect the heat can have on the vehicle or their own bodies. Severe heat disrupts the functions of the brain and the rest of the body. Hot, humid weather often causes drowsiness and mood disruptions. When heat is combined with humidity, people often fail to recognize signs of thirst while at the same time, they sweat away valuable moisture. This often leads to dehydration.
All these effects can reduce cognitive performance, which is absolutely critical for drivers. Dehydration, moodiness, and sleepiness can also increase a tendency toward impulsive actions, which can have deadly consequences in traffic scenarios. Drivers who take certain medications experience these impacts even more strongly because these medications reduce the body’s capacity for heat management.
Even in a place like Tallahassee, where drivers know to expect hot weather, they often underestimate the effects the sun can have on their driving. The sun turns a motor vehicle into a high-speed, multi-ton greenhouse. Light passing through the windows and windshield amplifies the effects of the heat in the air. Exposed surfaces, such as dashboards, absorb and retain heat. Some studies have suggested that the interior of a car can be 50% hotter than the outside temperature, even with some intermittent air conditioning use. Other studies have demonstrated a negative effect on drivers’ ability to identify traffic signals, respond to conditions on the road, and drive in a straight line after having sat in their cars in a sunny parking lot for a short period of time.
Heat and Humidity Act as Aggravating Factors
In addition to the problems heat and humidity cause on their own, they can also lead to car, truck, and motorcycle accidents by aggravating other factors that frequently lead to collisions. For instance, drivers whose abilities to think and react quickly are impaired by alcohol, drugs, or drowsiness are likely to experience even greater impairment when the hot, heavy air makes them sluggish. Heat and humidity can lead to distractions that take a driver’s attention from the road as they try to adjust the vehicle’s climate controls for maximum effect or fumble around to open cold beverages.
If a vehicle has certain mechanical problems, extreme heat can make the issue worse, and that can lead to failure of critical systems such as steering, brakes, and tires, leaving a driver unable to control the car or react to road conditions properly. Or if a driver is impatient, the heat can increase their level of impatience and lead them to aggressive driving that could cause them to cut off others in traffic or run through a red light.
Steps to Stay Safe When Driving on Hot Days
Car accident lawyers know that no matter what you do to protect yourself, anytime you are on or near a road, you are at risk of injury from irresponsible drivers. However, there are steps you can take to help reduce your risk of causing an accident, and that can help you react to avoid injuries from accidents caused by the irresponsible actions of others.
The first step is to be prepared before getting in the car. Take stock of your condition. If you’re sleepy or groggy and you can’t do anything to put yourself in a more alert frame of mind, this might be the time to get a ride with a friend or arrange a rideshare. Get in the habit of drinking water before you pick up the car keys. Bring a water bottle with you and drink at regular intervals even if you don’t feel thirsty. Dehydration can sneak up on you, and the impact can be as dangerous as drinking alcohol.
Once in your car, turn on the air conditioning, open the windows, and let the temperature adjust before driving. Waiting for the car to cool down does not make you a wimpy driver, but merely a smart one. The human body does not function well in temperatures over 108 degrees, and if your car has been sitting in the sun on a Florida afternoon, the temperature inside might be close to 150 degrees. You need to let the car cool off before you can drive safely.
While you’re driving on a hot day, be aware of the potential risks, such as tire failure. Allow extra space between your car and the vehicle in front of you. If you need to adjust your air conditioning, pull over so you can give your full attention to these important controls without removing your attention from the road.
When you park at your destination, go out of your way to find shade if you can. It can keep your car as much as 30 degrees cooler. If you can’t find a place in the shade, putting up a sunshade on your windshield can help keep the car’s temperature from increasing as drastically.
Finally, you need to be aware that other drivers are probably not taking the same safety precautions as you. Be alert for erratic driving and other signs that drivers are allowing the effects of the heat to lead them to take irresponsible risks that could put you in danger.
If You’ve Been Hurt in an Accident, Searcy Denney Tallahassee Can Help
Your safe actions can go a long way toward preventing car accident injuries. But there is no way to insulate yourself from all risk completely.
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