A de-cluttered vehicle is a safer vehicle
The road safety office of Mayo County Council is advising people to declutter and clean their cars before heading away on a staycation.
Your car is a carrier of bacteria and infections, as much as it is of you, so keeping your car’s interior clean is key not alone for the prevention of the spread of Covid-19, but also for other safety reasons.
Clutter or litter in a car can create many dangers. Most people would think that a messy car can be normal and that it can do no more harm than being an eyesore, but some studies and statistics prove otherwise and that a clutter-filled car can be a source of hazard for drivers and their passengers.
Cans and plastic bottles may look innocent enough but they can have dangerous consequences. When the car is in motion, these items could roll forward and catch under the brake or accelerator pedal, preventing the driver from operating the vehicle properly. Loose items that are not secured properly also sometimes turn into deadly missiles during emergency braking.
Children’s car seats have twice as many germs than the average toilet, a previous study by Continental Tyres revealed. Researchers found that while on average 50 germs lurk on each square centimetre of a toilet seat, more than 100 potentially dangerous bacteria and fungi are present on the same size area of the average child safety seat.
You need to regularly wash down, preferably with a disinfectant wipe, the main contact surfaces, including the steering wheel, gear shifter, touchscreen, door handles, and the most commonly-used buttons. Disinfect all the surfaces you touch regularly, especially if you’re sharing the car with someone or gave someone a lift.
A car is the perfect place for germs to breed, especially if you eat in it and leave litter or uneaten food around. To avoid potential health risks, it would be wise to regularly clean your car inside and out. This will help protect their precious cargo from any bacteria and illness but they will also go some way to helping keep the vehicles value when it comes to resale.
The force of gravity can mean a loose object packs 20 times the punch it would normally, so store away that umbrella left in the back window. Despite many of these things being placed in cars to bring good luck, it’s worth remembering that dangling items, excessive use of stickers on windscreens and items placed on parcel shelves can obscure the driver’s view and create blind spots which could prevent you from seeing a cyclist or pedestrian, a cause of deaths in the past.
Masks are a part of the 'new normal'. People are required to wear them at businesses like shops and restaurants and even in some outdoor settings. Inside your car, you don't have to wear a mask but you should think about where you store it.
Drivers need to have a full and unobstructed view of the road and traffic around them in order to drive safely, so it is not recommended that you hang or display any item in your car that can reduce visibility or distract from driving.
Hanging your face mask on your mirror might be a good reminder to wear it when leaving the car but it can block your view. Instead, put it in the glovebox, the seat next to you, or even your central console or pocket – anywhere except on that rear view mirror where it can block your vision.