Stuck in traffic jams, we often curse other drivers and mope about our assured delay… But did you know that traffic jams also present a danger to our health? In question, pollution, of course. A British study, conducted by researchers at the University of Surrey, suggests that keeping the windows closed and not turning on the ventilation when you are in a traffic jam could reduce exposure to toxic fumes by 76%!
To arrive at these results, the scientists compared five scenarios, in which the window was open or closed, the ventilation activated or not (or only partially) and the air conditioning activated (hot or cold) or not. Driving with the window open in a traffic jam or with the air conditioning on exposes us to the same level of pollution as if we were walking outside. When the windows were closed and the ventilation stopped, the exposure was 76% lower. Yes, but… what to do when it is not possible to drive without air conditioning and the window closed? "The best option is to adjust the settings of the car to ensure that the air circulating is the air inside the car," explains Dr. Prashant Kumar, in charge of the study. Thus, no polluting particles from the outside enter the passenger compartment of the car. He also recommends taking the reflex to keep a good distance from the car in front of you, in order to prevent polluting particles from being "stuck" during traffic jams.
Air pollution is considered one of the 10 major health risks by the WHO, which attributes to it 7 million premature deaths per year. A problem even more present in large cities. Last year, these same researchers demonstrated that drivers stuck at red lights were exposed to 40% more pollution than those driving in non-stop zones (traffic jam, red light).
