Aussies are being warned that while they’re behind the wheel and navigating the many hazards on the road, a less considered risk could be impacting them. Driver Lucy Blair admitted to Yahoo News she hadn’t contemplated the need for sun safety while driving until recently, but knows it’s something that needs to be taken seriously.
“I think the car is something that slips their minds because some parts of it can feel a bit shady, and people think that you are protected,” she told Yahoo. “But in reality, the UV is coming through those windows, especially the side windows, so your arms are exposed to that. It is important to have a routine for protecting yourself when you’re in the car.”
Lucy, who lives in Rockhampton in Central Queensland, now strives to wear protective clothing in the car and recently received a $99 sun smock to protect her upper body from UV radiation. At first, she admits she was “a bit sceptical” of the garment, but after trying it on she was won over.
“I’ve tried to embed sun-safe practices into my life as a whole, not just while I’m in the car but while I’m walking to the office, while I’m on my lunch break, when I’m out running with friends. I’m always thinking about the UV,” she said.
Stage IV melanoma survivor flags ‘how harmful’ Aussie sun is
Anne Gately, a survivor of stage IV melanoma and author, told Yahoo News we sometimes forget just “how harmful” the sun is and echoed Lucy’s sentiment that sun safety be prioritised every day, not just when we’re going to be outdoors for hours.
“In Australia, we don’t realise just how harmful the sun is here, and we really need to be much more mindful of it at all times, not just when you’re off for a day out at the beach or at the park,” she said. “Generally you need to protect yourself from the sun, regardless of how that sun is getting through to you.
There’s a lot of that incidental exposure that you get, and your skin remembers it,” she said.
Skin cancer survivor Anne Gately constantly considers sun safety. Source: Instagram/anne_gately
Tinted windows can reduce UV radiation, Cancer Council says
While tinted windows drastically reduce the amount of UV radiation onto a person’s skin, it doesn’t completely remove the risk. And more often than not, if the windscreen is tinted, it doesn’t mean the side windows are too.
UV radiation levels inside a car vary depending on factors such as whether the side windows are open or closed, and the position of the vehicle in relation to the sun, Cancer Council says. UV radiation levels are generally much lower inside the vehicle than outside in full sunlight.
UV radiation can easily pass through glass onto a driver’s and passenger’s skin. Source: Getty
Laminated windscreens, made from a tough plastic layer bonded between two panes of glass, provide better protection against UV radiation compared with tempered glass, blocking about 98% of UVA radiation.
Cancer Council Australia recommends drivers and passengers wear protective clothing and sunscreen that it at least SPF 50 while in the car for long periods of time. This will help to protect them while inside the car and when they leave it.
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