DRIVERS AND SKIN CANCER
By Vasilis Comblas.
A recent medical study found that skin cancer patients who spent a significant time driving a car each week were more likely to develop skin cancers on the right side of their bodies and faces!
Car windscreens are laminated for safety, they have a plastic layer bonded between two layers of glass, this lamination blocks most of the sunburning UVB rays, but they don’t block UVA rays - those rays that cause aging and melanomas. Skin sun damage while in a car also occurs from the side and back windows - which have no lamination.
If you drive long distances or are in a vehicle for a long period of time, wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants or skirt, UV-blocking sunglasses and use sunscreen protection, if you are in a convertible also wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Most commonly in Australia, drivers and passengers receive sunburn in cars because they have the windows down, exposing themselves to high levels of UV radiation and wind - so remember next time you go driving take precautions.