At the same time, there is less talk about what awaits someone who is “forgotten” in their parked car with the engine stopped in winter. However, if not as often as in summer, there are examples of this as well. Has anyone been on the verge of freezing to death because they fell asleep in the car while waiting for the driver, who stayed longer than he thought…
- You can freeze in an unheated car in winter, just as you can get heat stroke in a vehicle parked in the sun in summer!
There is also a considerable risk of an accident if someone starts shivering in their completely cooled down car in the morning!
It doesn’t have to be bitterly cold outside for the temperature inside our car to drop almost intolerably for the human body. According to doctors, 18 degrees is the limit where “everything changes”. Under which the body already functions differently than above.
Below 18 degrees, the body starts to defend itself against the cold. Blood vessels constrict, breathing and heartbeat slow down. The person’s ability to perform gradually begins to deteriorate. His attention lapses, the width of his field of vision decreases, his visual acuity deteriorates, he reacts more slowly and imprecisely to external stimuli.
At the same time, meteorologist Dr. Ferenc Pintér also drew attention to the fact that the cold does not only affect those sitting in cars that have not yet warmed up. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are even more exposed to the elements. And they can’t even trust that the heating will start over time.
Not to mention the fact that pedestrians in the cold, especially if it is accompanied by strong wind, inevitably pull the hood of their coat over themselves, pull the cap down to their eyes, so that as little skin as possible is exposed to the elements. This makes it harder for them to detect approaching vehicles, i.e. the number of people driving in zombie mode on the roads increases.
- “Those sitting in their already warmed-up cars should think about this and, accordingly, drive with sufficient caution when the air cools down, strong winds blow or it rains and snows!”, suggested Dr. Ferenc Pinter.
“The cold has a particularly bad effect on traffic safety, and not just because it freezes and the roads are slippery,” stated Dr. Pintér. In the cold, everything and everyone slows down a little, but not everyone takes note of this when sitting behind the wheel, just like when walking as a pedestrian.
There are only a few people who consciously monitor themselves and are therefore aware of how fronts, extreme cold or even heat affect them, and they behave accordingly on the streets and roads.
In winter, always have in the car (in addition to the mandatory):
- Snow brush and/or car snow shovel
- Ice scraper, ice melter
- Tow rope, headlamp or flashlight
- Blanket
- Snow chains (Neither chains nor winter tires are mandatory in Hungary, but in case of heavy snow, some roads may be closed and motorists will not be allowed to enter without them)
- Phone charger, but it is best to have a power bank with a larger capacity so that the car battery is not burdened by the phone charger.
- For the sake of safety, it’s good to have some food and drinks, if a road is closed and you can’t turn back, or the car gets stuck in a traffic jam neither forwards nor backwards.
“The cold affects everyone, it intensively and significantly affects the ability to drive, attention, speed and safety of movement,” said the meteorologist. According to Dr. Ferenc Pintér, a pedestrian who pulls his coat on is like a car driver who only scrapes the ice off the windshield directly in front of him, with the rest melting as he goes. The viewing angle is much smaller, the driver perceives much less of the outside world around him.
You should drive more slowly when it gets cold, not only because the roads can be slippery in the cold, and the braking distance can increase, even when using high-quality winter tires. But also because not only the braking distance but also the reaction time increases due to the cold. It is harder for us to detect possible sources of danger, we react more slowly, and our movements are not as precise or sophisticated as before!
Motorists have been warned since late autumn: replace summer tires with winter ones. On the other hand, no one tells pedestrians that no matter how elegant their shoes are, if they have slippery soles, they can easily get them into trouble, and it doesn’t even take for the temperature to drop below freezing. Hard leather soles are not the real deal on wet roads and pavements. That’s where the deep ribbed rubber sole is!
Not just for pedestrians! For drivers too! Many people tend to hide in their favorite shoes, saying that they are also good for the car. And if not? And if you have to get out on the way? It is worth taking an example from those ladies who keep separate shoes in their car for driving, because high heels are neither comfortable nor safe in summer, and even less so in winter.
The dilemma of many people in the morning, but not only when, is whether to take off the jacket and heat it up “for that few minutes’ drive, or whether to keep them on, and then it doesn’t matter how cold the car is.” It is not an easy decision, especially if the car does not have a steering wheel and heated seats. Shall the driver and passengers shiver until the car warms up? But what happens when you have to make a quick decision while you’re chatting, and you have to make it not only quickly, but also accurately?
- Will it work in gloves and a coat as well as less thickly dressed?
Not to mention the fact that today there are hardly any big cities where anyone can be sure that a journey of a few minutes according to the GPS will really only be a few minutes. All it takes is one car that breaks down due to a technical fault, an accident or other unexpected event, and the travel time can multiply.
Driving in a winter coat is neither comfortable nor very safe, even for a short time. The thick coat
- complicates, i.e. slows down, governance,
- and the movement of the driver in general,
which can even have serious consequences in an emergency – which can occur more often on slippery roads than in summer. Also because of the thick winter coat
- the lower leg of the seat belt will also fit differently on the body,
for this reason, when braking suddenly, or, for example, if another person rushes into the car from behind, it may even cause liver damage if it is not pulled towards the pelvic bone, but towards its upper part.
“However, you shouldn’t undress too much,” remarked Dr. Pintér. It is not the safest to drive a car in the drowsy mode. It is ideal if it is 20, maximum 22 degrees in the car. Of course, there can be and are significant differences between a person’s sense of heat. The point is that it is neither too hot nor too cold in the passenger compartment. It is not recommended to be too warm, because when disembarking, no matter how quickly the passenger puts on the thick sweater and winter coat, there is a high chance of catching a cold.
Finally, let’s address the dilemma of those going on longer trips: should we warm up before setting off, or “will the car heat up on the way”?
Well, most conventional engines – petrol or diesel – are ready to go after 10-20 seconds, a maximum of half a minute. Obviously, until it reaches the normal operating temperature, it is not healthy for the engine if the driver presses the gas pedal all the way to the floor, but it is already safe to drive. However, it takes a little more time, the type selects how much, before the amount of engine heat is produced, enough to create a pleasant warmth in the passenger compartment.
Unless there is a compelling reason for it to be warm in the passenger compartment at the time of departure – for example, because a baby is traveling with the family – it is worth setting off. Under load, the engine warms up faster, and in addition, it does not burn expensive fuel unnecessarily.
It is advisable to dress in such a way that the driver and the person sitting next to him feel comfortable until the air temperature in the passenger compartment becomes pleasant. They cannot dress or undress on the go, or even if they could, it would be very unlucky if they did. If you are forced to dress or take off a few warmer things, stop, and do not change clothes while driving. Not only because it would require the seat belt to be switched off, which is highly inadvisable.
Author: F.Gy.A.
