Why driving in your car is a cancer risk
FOR most health-conscious holidaymakers, using a suntan lotion with a high protection factor and sunglasses when outdoors is second nature.
But experts are now warning people who drive long distances that they too need to consider protecting themselves from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation – when they are inside their cars.
While windscreens, made from special laminated glass, typically score well on sun safety tests, usually offering about SPF 50, other windows in cars do not need to meet the same safety standards and may score lower than SPF 20.
Dr Jayne Weiss, Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, said: ‘Windshields provide excellent protection against UV light, which is associated with risk for skin cancer and cataracts, but a car’s side windows do not. There appears to be considerable variation in side-window UV-A [a type of UV specifically associated with skin damage] blockage and information that is not easily obtainable by the consumer.’
Previous studies in the US have demonstrated that left-sided skin cancer is more common in those with the disease who spend more time driving.
Experts advise that the use of UV-A-blocking films, some types of window tinting, sunblock and sunglasses can enhance the amount of UV-A blockage from side windows.
The advice comes as a leading UK optical chain warns that up to a third of Britons may be putting their sight at risk – potentially exposing themselves to cataracts and macular degeneration – by choosing ‘vanity over UV protection’ when buying sunglasses. The survey from Vision Express revealed that one in three sunglass-buyers confesses to not always checking the UV rating of lenses.
Omar Hassan, head of professional services at Vision Express, explains: ‘People mistakenly believe that all sunglasses are made to an equal standard to block all harmful UV rays. But this just isn’t the case. Anyone buying sunglasses off the shelf without prescription should use a reputable retailer and check the frames are CE marked as UV400.’
The World Health Organisation reports that, worldwide, approximately 900,000 people are blind because of cataracts triggered by UV exposure, and that one out of five cataracts could be due to UV exposure.