Beware! 'Heat zombie' at the wheel!
The extreme heat of the past few days is being linked to more accidents on our roads. The Flemish motoring organisation VAB says that driving in a hot car can have the same impact on a driver as having 0.5 per mille alcohol in your blood and that is illegal when driving!
Having 0.5% per mille alcohol content in your blood makes you 2.5 times more likely to cause a fatal accident.
Research undertaken in countries plagued by extreme heat shows that 15% of accidents are caused because the heat has impacted in the driver. Drivers’ concentration lapses and motorists fall asleep at the wheel more easily. Drivers also become more emotional and consequently more reckless. In fact, many turn into 'heat zombies'.
A temperature of 30°C outside means it could be as hot as 50°C in the car. Darker cars heat up more readily than cars of a lighter hue: the difference in temperature can extend to 10° Celsius.