Note when driving during rush hour in hot weather

Hieu Anh DNUM_ACZAGZCACD 09:57

Driving during rush hour in the city is tiring. In hot weather, the horror is multiplied.

Horrible driving in hot weather

Mr. Le Xuan Thang in Tay Mo, Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi said: My office is about 10 kilometers from my house, passing through 3 traffic hotspots. Normally, it takes me about 45 minutes to drive. However, in hot weather, it takes me more than 1 hour to get home. I ride a motorbike, so what I fear most is stopping at red lights, the loud honking of car horns, and the sweltering heat from the asphalt. In addition, in hot weather, everyone is in a hurry, so it is difficult to stay calm. When I got home, I was almost exhausted.

Pham Van Thieu also cannot avoid fatigue when going to work by car. Thieu shared that since the beginning of summer, the air conditioning system in his car has been old and cannot handle the load. Last week, he went to 3 air conditioning repair shops but none of them accepted to do maintenance due to overload. Getting into a car in the hot season with weak air conditioning is no different from a sauna. In addition, the hot weather during rush hour is also more crowded than usual, so the car has to move little by little, which is extremely stressful. Many days, he switched to riding a motorbike. But the heat, dust and noise are unbearable.

Driving in hot weather makes drivers quickly tired. Photo by Hai Nguyen

Experts share driving experience in hot weather

Sharing his experience of driving during traffic jams and hot weather, Mr. Mai Lam Quy, a teacher at Duc Thinh Driving Training Center, said that in hot weather, car drivers need to pay special attention to the air conditioning system. When the air conditioning is weak, the driver can take the car's air conditioning filter out and tap it lightly on the ground to clean the dirt. Absolutely do not wash it with water. If the air conditioning is still not guaranteed, the driver needs to take the car to the workshop for repair and maintenance.

When the air conditioner is working well, drivers should not abuse it to avoid heat shock. In fact, in hot weather, many people often have the habit of turning on the car's air conditioner at the lowest temperature without knowing that heat shock in the car is much more dangerous than heat shock when moving from the air-conditioned room to the outside. The reason is that the space inside the car inherently has a lot of CO2 and people often have the habit of letting the air conditioner shine directly on them when sitting in the car. At that time, the temperature difference between the hot outside and the inside of the car is very high. When getting out of the car, the driver is very likely to suffer from heat shock leading to headaches, dizziness, and even stroke.

To avoid the risk of heat shock, before starting and stopping the car, the driver should turn off the A/C and fan to gradually adapt to the outside temperature. When starting the car, the driver can turn on the ventilation fan and open the windows to blow hot air out of the passenger compartment. Then close the windows and turn on the air conditioner. After that, the driver can gradually increase the cold level and fan speed to gradually adapt the body.

When driving in hot weather, drivers should pay attention to vehicle maintenance, especially tire pressure and windshield. Drivers need to ensure that tire pressure is always within the required level for the best fuel efficiency. Each manufacturer has a requirement for a necessary tire pressure level clearly stated on the label. Maintaining the right tire pressure not only helps you save fuel but also helps control the vehicle well or prevents the tire from overheating, leading to damage to connecting parts such as wheels, brakes or other related parts.

A dirty windshield can make your eyesight worse because dirt and debris can scatter sunlight. Therefore, before starting your trip, you should clean and wipe the windshield both inside and outside to avoid leaving streaks on the glass.

When driving in the sun, drivers often experience glare. Therefore, drivers need to maintain a steady speed and a safe distance. Never stop or park suddenly because the driver behind may have slow reflexes due to affected vision.

For motorcyclists, drivers need to pay attention to equipping sun protection gear. Many people think that wearing thin clothes in hot weather will help keep them cool. However, both male and female drivers should equip some accessories to cover their bodies, including sun protection clothing of moderate length and thickness, shoes, gloves, sunglasses...

Hieu Anh