- People should avoid being out in the sun between 11 am and 2 pm.
- Checking the condition of your bike, motorcycle or car, making frequent stops and staying hydrated are useful tips to avoid heat stroke.
Heat waves are here to stay and are occurring more frequently as a result of global warming and weather phenomena like El Niño.
If temperatures increase, it is important to take precautions to protect our health and avoid incidents. Whether we are pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users or vehicle drivers, there are certain recommendations we can all follow.
Fundación Aleatica para la Seguridad Vial has prepared a series of tips to avoid suffering adverse consequences from heat stroke, which is a condition caused by excess heat in the body that occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to high temperatures or physical effort made in conditions of extreme heat.
According to National Disaster Prevention Center (Cenapred, Spanish acronym) and the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS, Spanish acronym), there are various symptoms that the body presents during heat stroke.
The first indications are excess sweating, then lack of sweating; the skin starts to look red and dry; headaches occur and the body temperature starts to rise until it becomes a fever over the temperature of 39 degrees.
Everyone needs to be careful of the heat
The heat we have experienced during these waves can also be dangerous for pedestrians and public transport users. The recommendations are to stay hydrated, avoid direct sunlight when possible and wear clothing that is light and comfortable.
If you are waiting for public transport, try to find a spot with shade. The same is true when driving in a bike lane. If possible, avoid exposure to solar rays between 11 am and 2 pm. It is always a good idea to carry a bottle of water and to drink liquids constantly.
Safe driving
Weather conditions also play an important role when driving. All drivers need to know that driving in extreme temperature conditions may cause consequences like reductions in their field of vision, increased sleepiness, and slower response times.
According to a study performed by Road Safety and Experimentation Center (Cesvi Colombia), at temperatures below 10 °C and higher than 30 °C, the number of driving deaths increases by 20% and the amount of time the driver needs to react increases by 22%.
Aleatica Foundation has the following recommendations to help you drive more safely:
- Make sure that your vehicle is well ventilated before you start driving.
- Avoid driving during the hottest time of the day
- Keep a bottle of water in your car to stay hydrated.
- Stop every two hours or every 200 kilometers to hydrate and stretch.
It is important to keep in mind that accidents caused by natural causes are the fourth highest cause of road accidents on our country’s highways, according to the Annual Federal Highway Collision Statistics for 2021 published by the Mexican Transport Institute.
The weather factors that can make driving difficult on the highway are rain, fog, intense winds, extreme heat and extreme cold like sleet or snow.
Heat can also affect performance at the wheel. The tires are also more sensitive and, if they are not inflated to the right pressure, the likelihood of getting a flat tire is higher. It is also important to review the cooling system and the oil level to ensure optimal performance of the engine.
Remember that we are all road safety.
