The interior of a car has many more germs than the average toilet, reveals a British scientific study. Of all the car parts, the trunk is the most “loaded” with bacteria, while the least has – rather unexpectedly – the steering wheel.
Researchers at the College of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University in Birmingham, led by Professor of Microbiology Jonathan Cox, took samples from the inside of various cars to investigate the levels of microorganisms in vehicles and determine how effective they were. The conclusion is rather worrying and shows that owners should clean their cars more often and more carefully, as oh few potentially pathogenic germs were found in most vehicles.
Indicatively, the ubiquitous E.coli bacterium was found in every trunk, something that should be kept in mind by those who put “bulk” fruits and vegetables in it after shopping. Also in the cars was found the bacterium pseudomonas, staphylococcus etc.
The most bacterial parts of the car are in order: Trunk 1,425 types of bacteria, driver seat 649, gear levers 407, rear seat 323, dashboard 317 and steering wheel 146. The steering wheel, despite frequent contact with it, is usually the cleaner place, perhaps because in the midst of a pandemic many drivers make sure to clean it frequently with antiseptics.
As Cox said, “despite cleaning cars, the older they are, the dirtier they are in general. Our findings show that we need to change the way we think about our cars and their cleanliness. “We often clean them based on whether they look clean and not whether they are really clean.”
Traveling with a Pet in car:
According to new research from “Compare the Market”, there are some places in the car where your dog feels more relaxed
Using heart rate monitors, the study was conducted with four different breeds of dogs of different sizes, to determine in which locations they wagged their tails and in which areas their heart rate increased the most.
The research reveals that dogs felt more comfortable when they saw their owner, with their heart rate dropping by -6.8% in the front seat and -9.5% in the back seat, compared to their average heart rate.
In contrast, dogs felt more uncomfortable when they were in the trunk with their owner completely out of sight (20.4% increase in their average heart rate).
The detailed results are as follows:
Expert opinion (suggests that for our four-legged friends, people are often their main social connection and so leaving them for a car trip, especially in the trunk, can be really isolating and can lead to emotions anxiety.
Stephen Zeller, General Manager at Compare the Market, said: “If you are planning a car trip during the holiday season, be sure to consider the safety and well-being of your dog, the safety of your car, what kind of music do you listen to and make sure the temperature is controlled. “
If travel is unavoidable and your dog is showing signs of discomfort, research suggests ** that music at 50 or 60 beats per minute is best for keeping your dog relaxed.
In fact, “Compare the Market” has created a playlist of “Pooch Perfect Cars” on Spotify with songs such as “Ronan” by Taylor Swift and “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, to help your dog feel comfortable traveling (and offer you a short break from lots of festive pieces).
