As the cold winter months approach quickly, walking or bike riding are becoming less practical modes of transportation.
While people will rely more on cars to get around, there are increased concerns on how to keep yourself safe in a car during the coronavirus pandemic when socially distancing is nearly impossible.
Researchers from Brown University addressed these concerns in a newly published study that released new ways to maximize car safety and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in cars, according to Good Morning America.
The study that looked at airflow patterns inside of a car used computer models to see if there were ways to reduce aerosol transmissions while sharing a ride.
The study played out scenarios for a compact car with two people in it, one person in the front and one in the back row. When the heater was on in the vehicle and the windows were up, aerosols were also trapped, circulated between the two.
“When the windows are up, that was the lowest level of ventilation that we observed compared with the windows open,” said Brown University researcher Kenny Breuer.
The study also found that blasting the car’s air conditioner or heater didn’t circulate air nearly as well as opening a few windows, which was the most effective way to diffuse aerosol particles.
“That’s not surprising because we would expect that the more windows are open, the more circulation of air there is and the easier it is to flush any contaminants out of the car,” said Breuer.
While it makes sense to open the window right next to you, the Brown University study found that opening the window across from you actually helps create greater airflow. These findings may vary depending on the type of car and the number of passengers.
For example, in a car with one driver and one rear passenger, the study recommends opening the front passenger window and the window behind the driver to create a diagonal airflow.
The CDC still maintains various safety measures when driving in a car. General principles include cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and limiting passengers in one vehicle.
When using parking meters or pay stations, the CDC also recommends using alcohol wipes to disinfect surfaces and washing hands with soap and water for at leas 20 seconds as soon as possible.
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