USA TODAY International Edition
Future cars could be good for your health
Ultraviolet light could be the key, Jaguar hopes
Can a car help combat the spread of colds and the flu?
That’s what Jaguar Land Rover is looking to find out with its future models.
The British company has announced that “the car of the future could help win the battle against superbugs.”
The cure?
The luxury auto manufacturer said in a statement it is looking to use a type of ultraviolet light technology (UV-C) like what the medical industry has been using for more than 70 years.
“The average motorist spends as much as 300 hours per year behind the wheel,” said Dr. Steve Iley, Jaguar Land Rover chief medical officer, in the statement. “There is a clear opportunity to better utilize cars for administering preventative health care.”
This technology is used to disinfect water, filter air and sterilize surfaces. Jaguar Land Rover believes it can be integrated into its cars.
According to the company, recent medical trials of the technology suggest the technology can cut four major drug-resistant superbugs, including MRSA, by up to 30 percent.
“In the colder months infections are spread more easily, it’s reassuring to know that in your car at least, you can be confident that harmful pathogens are being neutralized,” Iley said.
The company says it’s exploring “a wide range of driver and passenger wellbeing features as it works towards a self-driving future.”
While Iley said he believes cars can play “a part in preventative healthcare in an age of shared mobility,” a date for when the technology will be integrated in the cars was not announced.