Summer has definitely showed up as temperatures continue to soar across the UK. In addition to remembering the sunblock, it is also worth knowing how to ensure your car’s air conditioning system is operating at its most efficient.
Follow these tips on how to make sure an air conditioning system provides the maximum benefits for comfort. There is also the factor that drivers who do not cool their car sufficiently after it’s been parked in the sun can suffer from impaired reaction times.
That claim is based on Seat’s research from 2018, which shows that an in-car temperature of 35°C (not as implausible as it first sounds when you think that a car parked in the sun for a long period can reach 60°C inside) can reduce reaction times by 20 per cent compared with a temperature 10°C lower.
You might well question whether anybody would actually ever try to drive in a car that was 35°C inside without at least opening the window, but Seat’s tips on how to make the best use of an air conditioning system could still serve as a useful reminder.
How to keep cool in your car in the summer sunshine
Open the doors
One common mistake made by drivers is to switch the air con to full blast the moment they get in the car. Instead, first open the doors and windows for a couple of minutes to allow the hot air to escape and cooler air to enter the car. If you don’t do this, all the air con will do is recirculate the hot air.
