5 Tips To Remember For Car Travel During COVID 19

The whole world is affected by the new coronavirus global pandemic. The simplest advice for how to stay safe is to stay home. But what if you have to go somewhere by car? The main rule is to minimise contact with others. But if a journey has to be made, protect yourself. “Ideally don’t go anywhere. If you have to go somewhere, go alone – don’t share the car with anyone. If you have to go with someone, make sure that the person does not have acute symptoms of respiratory illness. Use a respirator or at least a facemask.

* Disinfect

If you can’t avoid coming into contact with others and going somewhere by car, pay thorough attention to preventive hygiene measures. Disinfect all the surfaces you touch before and after the journey, especially if you’re sharing the car with someone or gave someone a lift.

Take this cleaning very seriously: disinfecting the steering wheel, gearstick, handbrake, door handles, radio and infotainment controls would occur to everyone, but don’t forget the stalks on the steering column (indicators and windscreen wipers, cruise control), elbow rests, seat position controls, door frames and exterior door handles or luggage compartment handle. These principles are even more important for taxi drivers and other drivers who transport passengers.

* Facemasks

Especially if you are travelling with passengers and one of them is at risk of having come into contact with an infected person, use protective gear, meaning facemasks and respirators. A classic fabric facemask won’t protect the wearer against the virus, but it can significantly reduce the risk of the wearer infecting others. So even a basic facemask is a sign of consideration towards the others in the car and can reduce the risk of infection. For genuine protection, you need respirators of FFP3 class at least.

* Check the official government guidelines

First and foremost before you travel anywhere you should always check official government guidelines. Here you will find information about every destination, along with entry requirements, safety and more. If it’s stated that you shouldn’t travel then that means you definitely shouldn’t travel. It’s for your own safety.

* Make sure your insurance is valid

When travelling it’s always important to have insurance. This will be even more important if you are travelling during or after a pandemic as it might be the case that your insurance won’t cover any issues that arise. This means making sure you read the terms and conditions, that it covers the country you wish to visit, as well as looking out for anything that might invalidate your insurance. A trick includes going to the policy details (before purchasing) and then doing a CTR+F type search for keywords such as “pandemic”, “coronavirus” etc.

* Filling up safely

If you absolutely have to go somewhere by car, it's highly likely that you'll need to buy fuel sooner or later. Don’t forget to be very careful about hygiene at petrol stations. Minimise contact with the staff. Choose a self-service filling station if you can. After filling up your car, immediately wash your hands or at least disinfect them with a hand disinfectant solution you should have a sufficient quantity of these in your car.