Stay Hydrated By Drinking Water
You need to drink water regularly to replenish all the fluids that you lose when you sweat more due to the hotter summer weather. Drinking more water also keeps you cool in the summer heat by lowering your body temperature.
Dehydration, even when mild, can leave you feeling dizzy, fatigued, nauseated or suffering from a stomach upset – this is bound to happen when you fail to replace these fluids. It’s essential that you stay hydrated throughout the summer months as the effects of dehydration can lead to reduced concentration levels, which can put your life as well as those of other road users in at risk, if you are a driver.
Whenever you are about to go on a trip be sure to hydrate properly, and also stock up on a healthy amount of water in your Heavy Goods Vehicle. You can also ensure that you have some cold drinking water at hand throughout your journey by freezing some water bottles – which can also be used as ice packs – and allowing them to defrost slowly as you drive.
Avoid Glare
Whenever you are driving towards sunlight, there is a greater risk of it impairing your vision during the summer months. The glare from the sunlight is not only visually distracting but can also increase your reaction times – increasing the chances of encountering various problems while driving.
The summer heat can cause a few issues with your HGV in addition to the problems that it presents for humans. If you’re interested in HGV training such as getting your Cat C1 license, HGV Training Centre are what you need. Be prepared for some of the issues that may arise when you are driving in the heat including:
To avoid glare, all drivers should ensure that they keep a pair of sunglasses – capable of protecting their eyes from damaging UV rays, on hand.
Use Sun Cream At All Times
Whether you are sitting inside your truck or not, increased UV rays translate into an elevated risk of sunburn. It is important to shield your entire body from sun exposure, even though only part of it gets exposed to the sun when you are in your truck – continuous exposure to the sun is still dangerous, even when it’s limited to a specific part of the body. Protect yourself from both UVB and UVA rays by using good sun cream.
Get Your HVG Ready
Blown Tyres – Tyres normally suffer a lot in hot weather. As the tyres build up pressure and heat quickly, the risk of blowout increases as everything including, the external metal, tarmac and air, heats up around them. Tyres normally blow out when they heat up past their design specifications. You can’t do much to keep the tyres cool; however, since underinflated tyres have a higher risk of a blowout, it helps to ensure that they are inflated properly, as per the specifications of the manufacturer.
Unreliable Braking – Hot weather can affect the performance of your brakes the same way that cold weather does. The heat that is produced as a result of the friction that occurs when brakes are activated can be significantly higher during summer, due to the warmer temperatures. As a result, the brakes may fail, lose their effectiveness or become unpredictable altogether. You can reduce this by braking early to give the brakes enough time to work, ensuring that the brake pads are in perfect condition and the brake fluid is not too old.
