While many vehicle owners know that extended exposure to the sun may harm a vehicle’s paint, few are aware of UV radiation’s many additional negative effects. There are many such possible consequences, both outside and within a vehicle, which may be very severe in certain instances. Additionally, UV radiation may cause damage to both the safety and cosmetic components of your vehicle, including those that substantially reduce its worth.
Below are the bad effects of the ultraviolet rays while driving:
Risks to Safety
While this is not the first consideration for many vehicle buyers, it is often the most critical when it comes to driver and passenger safety. For starters, high temperatures inside the vehicle, often produced by ultraviolet rays, may harm the airbags. They may become unusable at high enough temperatures, posing a significant safety concern. Additionally, prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures and ultraviolet radiation has been shown to have an effect on tire pressure. If you are not routinely monitoring your tire pressures, you may be driving dangerously without realizing it due to excessive UV exposure.
Dashboard Fading
Dashboards are often in danger due to the same heat accumulated over time and the ultraviolet light entering the area. This combination may cause damage to a variety of dashboard materials, and repairs are often prohibitively costly owing to the scarcity of many of its components. Often, the windshield merely serves to magnify this exposure via reflection. Over time, dashboards may fade and lose their sheen and develop cracks or split in certain places. However, the window tint protects the dashboard from ultraviolet radiation; even if the vehicle is still hot, the combination necessary to harm the dash will not exist.
Upholstery Issues
Another possible problem with ultraviolet radiation on the inside is the possibility of damaging upholstery. Leather, for example, is known to dry up and harden when exposed to sufficient UV radiation; even when coated to prevent sun damage, the leather upholstery will still be harmed by UV radiation when exposed.
In any scenario when liquid or food has been spilled on the upholstery, the combination of these elements and UV radiation may result in even severe problems. They often cause lasting harm when UV rays burn them into the material. Thus, this is why it is critical for drivers who have this kind of upholstery to seriously consider window tint that will prevent harmful UV rays from entering.
Issues with Weather Stripping
Almost every car on the market now has rubber weather stripping around each door to help keep the inside cool. This rubber layer protects the vehicle’s interior from factors such as moisture, dust, debris, and even cold or warm air, ensuring that drivers and passengers remain comfortable and safe. However, with prolonged exposure to UV radiation, weather stripping may develop what is known as sun rot. It will gradually grow less helpful and ultimately totally worthless. However, tinting the windows and covering the stripping with silicone will not be an issue.
Damage to Electrical Components
Another high-risk area for UV radiation is a wide one, the vehicle’s many electrical components. Here, we are pertaining to radios, navigation systems, and electrical connections, among other things. When the temperature inside the vehicle rises on a hot day, these exposed components may expand considerably. Additionally, they may fracture or melt away in certain instances, exposing the real electrical wires when their covers melt away. Moreover, this significantly increases the likelihood of electrical equipment malfunctioning inside the vehicle, resulting in costly repairs on your part.
Additional Components
Other car components that UV radiation may affect include the fluids, where sufficient heat can evaporate some fluids inside the engine, resulting in overheating or other failures. Antifreeze is one such fluid; you should have your levels and strength checked. Additionally, belts and hoses may be impacted by ultraviolet radiation. The sun’s intense heat may cause belts and hoses inside the engine to snap or detach in rare instances.
Skin Damage
UV radiation may produce burns characterized by an acute inflammatory reaction that includes redness, edema, a sensation of warmth, itching, and pain in the afflicted skin region. The degree of skin redness after exposure to a certain UV radiation dosage depends on the skin’s sensitivity, the wavelength, the duration of exposure, and the skin’s pigmentation. Chronic sun exposure increases the aging process of the skin. UVA radiation penetrates the skin’s deeper layers, destroys the connective tissue, and contributes to the sudden appearance of skin aging, including pigmentation, wrinkles, laxity, and dryness. Moreover, chronic exposure to UV radiation has been linked to the development of actinic keratosis. These lesions form in regions of the body that have been exposed to the sun for an extended period. Squamous cell carcinoma is a form of skin cancer that may develop from certain lesions.
Impairment of Vision
The majority of people believe that since a vehicle has a roof and windows, it effectively shields you from the sun and protects your eyes and skin from ultraviolet radiation. The same can be said in most cases for the windshield, which successfully blocks more than 90 percent of UV radiation in the majority of cases. However, it is not the whole story.
Due to its position and the action of the eyelids, the human eye is partly shielded from UV rays. This exposure varies according to the time of day, season, weather, distance from the equator, and the presence of reflecting objects within sight range. The cornea absorbs the majority of the short waves (UVB). Longer waves (UVA) penetrate through the cornea and reach the lens and retina of the eye. UV exposure is strongly linked to eyelid cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma and other eye disorders such as cortical cataracts.
KEPLER Window Films and Coatings provide window films and coatings, a team of experts that are committed to providing you with high-quality service and high-standard goods wherever in the globe. Furthermore, whether you want to enhance the appearance of your vehicle, increase your privacy at home, or increase the degree of security in your work area, KEPLER offers a window film solution that will meet your requirements flawlessly!
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