Did you know you are at risk of sun burn while in your van?
An experiment conducted by Confused.com with the help of Melanoma UK has found that drivers have suffered sun burn while travelling, but 48% of drivers aren’t aware that you can still get sun damage while driving with the window closed.
The results show “the driver’s side” or right-hand side of the body is more likely to be affected, commonly known as the ‘white van tan’.
Confused.com has created a guide to show how UV rays can reach drivers through car or van windows and it also provides some top tips on how to protect yourself from sun damage.
Nearly one in four surveyed said they have suffered sun burn while driving. Although, this isn’t surprising given one in six don’t apply sun cream in the UK.
And some drivers are actively trying to catch a tan – 10% admitted they’ve deliberately rolled down the window for this reason. But doing this will increase the risk of sun damage on one side of the body. And this is something that was highlighted in Confused.com’s experiment. The experiment used ultraviolet (UV) technology to pick up where skin had been damaged by UV radiation on a van driver from South Wales. The results showed he had more sun damage on the right side of his face and right arm – parts of the body that were more exposed to the sun while driving.
Overall, the research found that van drivers are more at risk of sun damage as they spend 21 hours in their van in a week, compared to 14 hours spent by the average UK driver.
Amanda Stretton, Motoring Editor at Confused.com, said: “When we’re in our cars we feel protected from the elements. But our guide shows that sun rays can still pierce through the car or van windows, so we’re not as protected as we might think. This clears up any confusion on how we can still get sunburn while in the car.
“Us Brits like to do everything we can to catch a tan, but on a sunny day we should be applying sun cream, even before we get behind the wheel to reduce the risk of sun damage.”
