ADAC: Heat Tips for Drivers

With temperatures over 30 degrees, it's expected to get very hot over the weekend. For all drivers, this means: caution and increased attention on the road.

Unfocused Due to Overheating

In the summer, vehicles heat up to 60 degrees Celsius within a few minutes. The dangerous consequences: drivers become unfocused, and the risk of accidents increases.

Often, even open windows do not help: In an ADAC test, with the windows closed, the interior temperature of the vehicle reached 38 degrees after ten minutes and even 45 degrees after twenty minutes at an outside temperature of 28 degrees.

With two slightly open windows, the temperatures still reached 36 and 42 degrees Celsius, respectively. Contrary to popular belief, the color of the car is not decisive.

The tips from ADAC experts: If possible, prefer to park the car in the shade or protect it against direct sunlight with thermal window covers.

One piece of advice that should already be self-evident: Never leave children or animals in the car at these temperatures! On longer car rides, travelers should always plan more time for breaks and carry enough water.

Choice of Temperature Important

There are also several things to consider when using the air conditioner:

“Before turning on the air conditioner, ventilate the car properly, but thereafter the windows should remain closed,” recommends ADAC traffic expert Jürgen Hildebrandt.

As a general rule, it is important to note: the difference to the outside temperature should not exceed six degrees, otherwise a cold or circulatory problems can occur.

Furthermore, fuel consumption also increases when the air conditioner is in operation. For distances of up to five kilometers, the rule is: air conditioner off and windows open. A few minutes before the end of the journey, the air conditioner should be turned off so that the condensation water can evaporate and no bacteria or fungi form in the air conditioner.

These circumstances also apply to pure electric vehicles, which mostly have a stationary air conditioning system. “Cooling or heating unnecessarily reduces the range, especially on short trips, and worsens the climate balance,” says Hildebrandt.