Your Car Door Window Cannot Filter All UV Rays And May Damage Your Eyes and Skin

By Jenn Loro - 17 May '16 11:48AM

A recent study suggests that car windows are not designed to protect eyes and skin against harmful exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun, so drivers should be wearing sun glasses and wear sunblock while behind the wheel.

Generally speaking, windshields filter vast majority of UV rays but car door windows do not as their varying levels of protection from radiation are now linked to a number of eye-related conditions and skin cancer.

"Don't assume because you are in an automobile and the window is closed that you're protected from UV light," wrote Dr. Jayne S. Weiss MD in a commentary published with the study in JAMA Ophthalmology as quoted by Health Newsline.

As per Immortal News, Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler of the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute in Beverly Hills analyzed 29 car models that came out between 1990 and 2014 from 15 different automotive manufacturers and studied their levels of ambient UV-A radiation behind the front windshield and behind the car door windows. The findings of the study revealed that windshields filtered around 96% of UV rays while car side windows only managed to block 71% of the sun's harmful radiation.

This would mean that less UV protection on the side windows exposes people to heightened risk for left eye cataracts and skin cancer on the face's left side since driver seats in the US are placed on the left side of the car.

Based on his research findings, he recommends that carmakers should reconsider redesigning their side windows of their automobiles that offer better UV protection for consumers.

In light of the study, dermatologists advise people to wear sunscreen or long-sleeved clothing and install tint products that provide greater UV ray protection especially older car models.

"Wearing long sleeve clothing, or sunscreen that is 'broad spectrum' would be extremely effective and seems indicated on long drives on sunny days," said Dr. Paul Nghiem of the University of Washington (not involved in the study) as quoted by the Reuters.