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The concept of UV exposure can sound terrifying the first time you hear about it. However, it’s probably not something you need to concern yourself with too much. You should be aware of it, but it’s not something you need to lose any sleep over.
You can be exposed to UV rays when you’re walking down the street or when you’re driving in your car. That can sometimes be the reason why vehicle owners look into Utah window tint specialists.
Often, they’re not just tinting their windows because they have something to hide. They are concerned about the punishing sun’s rays that they can be subjected to in this part of the country.
We’ll talk about UV exposure in more detail right now. It’s something you should know the facts about before you decide what precautions you are going to take.
What Does UV Mean?
“UV” is shorthand for ultraviolet, which refers to ultraviolet rays that come from the sun. It is a type of radiation. While the sun is the most prominent and best known producer, you can also produce UV rays from artificial sources in some circumstances.
UV rays definitely have some potential benefits to humans, so they are not all bad by any means. They help the body produce Vitamin D, which it needs.
Vitamin D helps you to build and maintain strong bones. That is why you can get it in tablets and pills in the vitamin section of any pharmacy or grocery store.
However, when people talk about UV rays, often, what they are referring to are the dangers associated with it. These are real, and they should be taken seriously.
UVA and UVB Rays
UV rays have both longer and shorter wavelengths, both of which you are exposed to if the sun has unrestricted access to your body, especially your skin. UVA rays are the longer of the two.
They have lower energy than UVB, their counterparts. They can damage your eyes, and they can also age your skin prematurely.
As for UVB rays, they are the shorter of the two varieties. They are higher in energy, and they also can give you a nasty sunburn if they have direct exposure to your unprotected skin.
How Dangerous Is It?
UV rays are considered to be dangerous, but probably not if you are exposed to them for five minutes. However, longer exposure than that can harm you in the ways we mentioned above, especially if you are not wearing sunblock, sunglasses, or taking similar protective measures.
There is something called the UV index that you can check before you go outside. That is a particularly sensible thing to do if you live in a part of the country like the Southwest, where the sun can become brutally hot during the summer months.
What Are Some Possible Consequences of UV Exposure?
If you’re a driver, and you allow the sun to penetrate your car’s windows when it is at its most fierce, then you are probably putting yourself at risk of sunburn. You can even suffer sunstroke if you’re driving for a longer period of time with the sun directly penetrating your windshield or windows.
There are also some additional factors that put you more at risk as a driver, not to mention when you’re riding your bike or walking around in direct sunlight. If you have a family history of skin cancer, you should be more aware of this potential threat. If you have fair skin or many moles, you are in more danger.
Individuals with green, gray, or blue eyes are more at risk. So are those who have red or blond hair.
How Can You Counter It as a Driver?
We already mentioned that tinting your car’s windows is one way you can combat direct sunlight and the potentially harmful UV rays that come with it. However, you need to know about the laws surrounding window tinting that are applicable in your town, city, or state.
Usually, you can tint your windows to a certain extent, but not too much. If you have them tinted to the point where someone can’t see inside at all, like a police officer, for instance, then you might get a ticket. You can try to explain that you’re doing it to protect yourself from UV rays, and that might seem like a valid excuse, but you must still abide by whatever laws or rules are in place in that particular region.
You can wear sunglasses for eye protection. You can slather on some sunscreen before you go out for a drive if you know that you are going to be out there during the hottest part of the day.
You can also use spray-on sunblock. This is often a solution if you find the normal kinds of sunscreen to be too goopy and hard to wash off.
The Bottom Line When It Comes to Drivers and UV Rays
With windows tinted, sunglasses on, and sunscreen at your disposal, there is probably not a whole lot to fear from UV rays. If you don’t have sunblock and you don’t feel like tinting your windows, then wearing long sleeve clothing and pants is another option, though that’s less appealing on hotter days.
While you should be aware of UV rays as a driver, and also while you’re walking or biking around in the heat of the day, you should not spend a whole of time concerning yourself with them. Being aware and taking precautions should put you in the right mindset where this sort of thing is concerned.
If you fall into one of the categories we mentioned earlier, then of course you need to be more cognizant of the sun and the harmful rays it brings. Even some cloud cover on a hot day is not enough to protect you completely, since UV rays can easily penetrate through the clouds.
If you’re sensible, though, the right precautions mean you won’t need to be too preoccupied with this threat.