The Impact of Summer Driving on the Body
Besides all the potential safety hazards on the road that can impact drivers throughout the summer months, there are various other issues that can impact drivers' health, simply due to the heat and humidity. Below are some common methods to protect yourself while driving during the summer months.
Sun Protection
Just because you are in a vehicle doesn't imply that you are immune to the effects of the sun. Although the sun's rays coming through the driver's side window may feel wonderful, there are significant concerns involved, such as sunburns and strange tan lines. Your body's left side suffers the most damage from the sun. Wear sunblock even when you are inside your cabin. Long sleeve shirts, hats, and sunglasses can also protect you.
Keep Hydrated
You might become dehydrated even in an air-conditioned truck. Keep a bottle of water nearby to stay hydrated and another bottle handy in case something happens. It's essential to always have items on hand that will help you stay cool when traveling. Due to the heat, summer trucking and travel can be very challenging.
Clothing
Your truck's air conditioning provides a much-needed break from the heat. Although it won't stop you from perspiring, the clothing you wear can lessen some of the bad impacts. Lightweight materials like cotton or linen are a godsend and unquestionably your best choice. Additionally, if they are bright colors, you will feel considerably lighter. Nevertheless, stay away from synthetics at all times because they have the exact opposite effect and will make you feel hot. To shield your body from damaging UV radiation, keep it covered.
Ensure Regular Breaks
Driving in the sweltering summer months also makes you want to complete your drive as quickly as possible. However, the longer you drive, the more your attention to detail will deteriorate if you don't take frequent pauses. That considerably raises the risk of an accident brought on by weariness. This is significantly easier for LTL carriers, especially when they have several stops to make.
Taking a brief break on lengthy trips can be difficult for FTL carriers. Sometimes all you need to keep your attentiveness at its peak is to pull over and walk around for five minutes.
Protect Your Vision
One of the major obstacles for most truck drivers, regardless of the season is sun glare. Of course, whether it is summer or not, this one occurs frequently. It just so happens that the summertime poses a greater threat. But having the right sunglasses can drastically cut down on glare. Any carrier who drives throughout the day is advised to use polarized eyeglasses with high UV protection in order to lessen this. And while it can be difficult to shield out direct sunshine, standing water, other cars, or even the road itself can reflect light and hurt your eyes much more quickly.
Be Aware of Your Medications
Summer is the season for allergies. No matter what kind of medication you are taking or for what purpose, be sure to understand how your body will react to it before operating a motor vehicle.
Avoid Distractions
Everyone on the road faces danger from distracted drivers. This is a problem not just during the summer, but throughout the year. When driving, keep your whole attention on the road. To make a phone call, use electronics, or to eat or drink, pull over to a secure location.
Drive together
Everyone wishes for pleasant weather. During the summer, pay attention for walkers, bikers, and motorcycles and allow for more stopping space in vehicles.
At Epes, safety has always been a priority, for both our drivers and the people we share the road with, and it remains true to this day.