Protection from UV rays in the car
July 22, 2024 Windesa
Is UV protection in the car sufficient without additional measures?
First things first: UV protection in the car is only guaranteed by the windscreen: As the windscreen is usually made of laminated safety glass, it filters out 100% of UV-B radiation and up to 98% of UV-A radiation. However, the side windows and the rear window made of single-pane safety glass allow approx. 60-80% of UV rays to pass through.
This means that you are inadequately protected from the sun's rays in the car and the consequences can be devastating. Additional protective measures are therefore necessary for frequent and longer journeys.
Two dangerous types of UV rays
- UV A radiation penetrates deep into the skin and damages the collagens with strong and frequent exposure, which leads to premature skin ageing and wrinkling and increases the risk of skin cancer. It also damages the eyes if the intensity is too high. This can result in macular degeneration or cataracts. Vision is permanently impaired.
- UV B radiation causes the skin to tan, but harbours the risk of sunburn and can also cause skin cancer.
How can I protect myself?
As mentioned above, UV rays damage the skin and eyes. Possible health problems include sunburn, clouding of the lens of the eye (cataracts) or even skin cancer. UV rays can also cause an allergic reaction in the skin, which can lead to redness, itching and swelling.
With Windesa car vision and sun protection, you can protect your passengers from too much UV radiation. According to our own test series, up to 97% of the radiation dose is retained on the car windscreen using a commercially available UV measuring device.
Please note: The skin of children and babies in particular requires special protection as it is still very thin and does not yet have its own UV protection. For this reason, we strongly recommend darkening the car windscreen.
For legal reasons, we are not allowed to offer sun protection for the front side windows. Screens may not be fitted in the driver's 180° field of vision, i.e. on the windscreen and the front side windows (see Road Traffic Regulations §40). Therefore, please remember to wear appropriate clothing and apply sufficient sun cream to exposed parts of your body, especially in the front seats.
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