Whether you are driving or riding in a car, the air quality in the car is probably the most overlooked point.
The space in the car is small, the window is not opened for a long time, and the air circulation can easily lead to suffocation and lack of oxygen. Harmful gases, smog, etc. entering the car from the outside will also aggravate the harm caused by air pollution to the human body.
A study published in the 2021 journal Science Advances pointed out that there is a direct link between the air quality in the car and highly contagious respiratory diseases such as the new crown.
How serious is the air pollution in the car when the windows are turned off for a long time in winter? "Life Times" (search for "LT0385" in WeChat to pay attention to) combined with the latest experimental data, interview experts teach you to open the window scientifically.
Experts interviewed
Fan Li, an expert in motor vehicle driver training and safe driving behavior
Driving with windows closed for two hours increases air pollution by 40%
Recently, Lychee News reported that by collecting air samples from cars driving continuously for two hours without driving windows in winter, and before and after switching between internal and external circulation modes, the effect of air quality changes in the car after long-distance driving in winter was explored.
Experiments have shown that after two hours of continuous driving, the total volatile organic compounds in the car rise by about 40% relative to before driving.
Total volatile organic compounds (VOC) is the main indicator of air quality in the car, it refers to a variety of organic compounds under atmospheric pressure, boiling point at 50 ~ 260 °C.
Experimental specific data:
After two hours of driving, the external circulation system was turned on for 15 minutes, and benzene was reduced by 35%, toluene was reduced by 75%, ethylbenzene was reduced by 52%, xylene was reduced by 62%, and formaldehyde was reduced by 60%. Total VOCs went down. It can be seen that the use of external circulation mode can greatly reduce the content of VOCs in the car.
Through the test, it was found that after the window was opened, benzene was reduced by 31%, toluene was reduced by 29%, ethylbenzene was reduced by 29%, xylene was reduced by 34%, formaldehyde was reduced by 32%, and total VOC was reduced by 41%.
Experts suggest that in winter, do not close the window for a long time to drive, when you feel obviously sleepy or stuffy, resulting in a feeling of lack of oxygen, you should open the window slightly, quickly exchange the air in the car to keep your mind clear.
How to open the window is also exquisite
Driving on the general road, opening the window can increase comfort, but not all situations are suitable, and how to open the window is also very exquisite.
Unilateral opening of strips, dispersing odors
One side of the front window opens a gap that squeezes smoke or other odors out of the car.
But if the windows are wider, the strong force of the airflow outside the car can squeeze smoke into the car and flow out of the rear exhaust. When passengers smoke, open the window on the side of the smoker, and the second-hand smoke can be quickly discharged.
Diagonally diagonally open two windows to reduce noise
When you open the two windows opposite each other when driving, the noise will be very loud, so that people can hear the sound of "whirring" all the time, and even the speech cannot be heard.
At this time, opening a front window and a rear window of the diagonal line can not only make the air flow smoothly, but also greatly help for cooling and ventilation.
Open three doors and close one for quick ventilation
It is best to open two front windows and one rear window, which will create a high pressure area in the rear row, the wind is softer, people are more receptive, and can avoid debris outside the car, which is safer.
These two ways to open windows should be avoided:
Avoid opening ipsilateral windows at high speeds.
When driving at high speed, do not open the two windows on the same side at the same time, otherwise the air flow will be directly poured into the car on the same side, blowing all the way to the glass on the other side before returning from the original entrance.
The occupants sitting on the other side have a strong sense of windward, and even a leaf will be very strong and there is a risk of injury.
In addition, high-speed driving is noisy, and when it is severe, it makes people have a headache in the ears. If you encounter strong winds or places with crosswinds, opening the window may also cause the car to be overturned by the air current.
It is best not to drive the window on the highway, otherwise the driving resistance will increase, which is more expensive than opening the window; wind noise will also affect the communication between the driver and the passenger.
Avoid opening four doors at the same time.
Some people think that the four windows are all open for ventilation and ventilation. In fact, the ventilation efficiency is low, and the direction of the airflow in the car is chaotic during the driving process.
When the airflow emissions around the windows peak, the large amount of air accumulated in the car can easily interact with each other to create turbulence, and even the lighter-textured knick-knacks in the car can be blown up at the limit.
Drive in winter and avoid these 5 bad habits
Closing the windows for a long time and opening the inner circulation mode can easily cause drowsiness, coupled with weather phenomena such as snowfall and ice in winter, which may affect driving safety.
The driver's unintentional small actions will be worse, especially the following 5 bad habits, drivers must avoid.
1
Force the wiper to be turned on after snowfall
If it snows the night before, the next morning, many people will open the wiper to clear the snow from the windows. However, ice and snow can easily freeze the wiper, if forced to start, one may damage the rubber blade, and the other may directly burn the wiper motor.
The right thing to do: Dust off the snow on the windshield first. If the wiper is frozen, the vehicle should be started, the warm wind should be turned on to blow into the windshield, and the frozen wiper should be melted with hot air.
In addition, the driver should also replace the antifreeze glass water in time before entering the winter to avoid the phenomenon of the water spray nozzle being frozen.
2
Air conditioning is only used for internal circulation
If you have been using air conditioning to warm the air circulation, in the long run, the air quality in the car will be greatly reduced, damaging human health.
Correct approach: It is best to alternate between internal and external circulation to increase the temperature inside the car on the basis of ensuring access to fresh air. But it is best to use internal circulation on smog days so as not to suck dirty air into the car.
3
Insist on fatigue driving
In winter, it gets dark early, the light is not as bright as in summer, and it is easy to get sleepy after driving for a long time. Many drivers think this is not a big deal, but it is no less harmful than drunk driving.
The right thing to do: When you are sleepy, find a safe place to rest or get out of the car to wake up. You can also take some auxiliary measures to indirectly reduce the chance of driving drowsiness, such as listening to music with a strong sense of rhythm.
4
Hit the steering wheel sharply
In any case, turning without slowing down or making sharp turns is a very dangerous behavior. In winter, the roads are slippery, and it is easier to hit the steering wheel sharply and cause the wheels to lose control.
The right thing to do: Slow down early and turn on the turn signals to observe the surroundings, especially if there are pedestrians crossing the road. Then turn the steering wheel at a constant speed to keep the vehicle spinning smoothly. Manually geared vehicles should not shift speed when cornering to avoid skidding.
5
The in-situ heating car is too long
A hot car is needed in winter, but it should not be too long, otherwise it will increase fuel consumption.
Correct approach: After the engine is started, if the speed is stable, you can start driving. For today's vehicles, this time is generally about 1 minute. Be careful after starting and don't rush to the accelerator.
In addition, there are 3 points to emphasize:
Driving on ice and snow roads, vehicles with ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System), brakes to the end;
Drive on the road with water, do not go too fast, to avoid splashing water and affecting the line of sight of the rear car;
In winter, pedestrians wear more, and their eyesight and hearing are reduced, so drivers need to pay special attention to the surrounding pedestrians. ▲
Editor of this issue: Wang Weixin
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