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Top tips to stay cool while driving in the heat

Driving in heatwave
Be prepared! European countries are suffering the longest heatwave of the last 40 years

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22 July 2015

IT’S 9am and a thermometer in the centre of Barcelona already indicates that it’s 30 degrees.

Phew! That’s hot, hot, hot!

when the interior temperature of a car is 35 degrees, a driver’s reaction time is 20% slower than when it’s 25 degrees. It’s equivalent to driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.5 grammes

But meteorologists reckon Spain isn’t alone in this: other European countries are suffering the longest heatwave of the last 40 years, with maximum temperatures of 44 degrees in Zaragoza, 36 degrees at London’s Heathrow airport or 39 degrees in the French capital.

“When it’s this hot, people usually follow some guidelines when they have to go outside, for example, but very few people are aware that it’s just as important to consider some important tips when driving in these conditions of intense heat,” explains Ángel Suárez, an engineer at the SEAT Technical Centre.

Ángel says have to pay special attention to your driving and maintaining your car in extreme temperatures, because “when the interior temperature of a car is 35 degrees, a driver’s reaction time is 20% slower than when it’s 25 degrees. This risk is equivalent to driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.5 grammes per litre of blood.”

Turn the page for some top tips to stay cool while driving in the heat.

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