Honing My Driving Skills

3 Reasons Not To Ride In The Car With Your Windows Down

When you think about cranking up your car's air conditioning system, you might immediately think that it's better to roll the windows down instead. However, there are actually a few reasons why you should keep your car windows up most of the time when you're driving. These are a few of those reasons. 

1. It Might Not Be Cheaper

One reason why a lot of people prefer to ride in the car with their windows down is because they think it helps them conserve fuel. Although this might be true at slower speeds, you should think about how having your windows down can cause resistance, which means that your car might actually have to work a little bit harder to maintain the same speed on the highway. Basically, there isn't much of a financial reason to keep your windows down rather than running your car's air conditioning system.

2. You Could Expose Yourself to Allergens

By keeping the windows on your car rolled down, you can possibly expose yourself to pollen and other allergens. This is especially a concern during pollen season or if you or someone who rides in your vehicle regularly has serious allergies. Keeping the windows up and the air conditioner on can help with this, especially if you have your cabin air filter -- which is actually designed to filter the air that flows through your vehicle's heating and air conditioning system, much like the air filter in your home does -- changed regularly.

3. You Could Experience Hearing Problems

One study showed that individuals who drive convertibles are at risk of damaging their hearing due to the wind noise, which can be considered comparable to the noise on a regular construction site. Although simply having your windows rolled down might not create this level of noise, it can cause the same effect. Plus, along with having to worry about hearing loss, you also have to worry about pain and discomfort in your ears, too. To protect your ears, consider keeping your windows rolled up rather than riding with them down.

As you can see, even though a lot of people might do it, it's not necessarily a good idea to ride in the car with the windows down. Instead, have your car's air conditioning system checked out by a company like Modern Auto Air to ensure that it's in good shape, and consider riding with your windows up and your air conditioner on instead.


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