COVID has made normal routines a little more challenging these days. Among the things you may be re-evaluating is carpooling. Here are some carpool safety tips and COVID precautions to keep in mind.
Masks and Hand Sanitizer
These days, wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer is a must no matter what you are doing. Make sure all participants in your carpool put and keep their masks on during the entire rid. Additionally, hand sanitizer should be used both before entering the vehicle and after exiting.
Air Circulation
Experts have mentioned there is greater risk from COVID in the air you breathe versus surfaces you touch. Thus, anything that you can do to promote air circulation is helpful. If it’s not too cold outside, crack open some windows. If you’re using the air conditioner or heater, set it to circulate with outside air.
Also pay attention to how loud you may be talking. Studies have shown that the louder you speak, the further air particles can fly. Although you may have masks on, they do not create tight seals. Speaking loudly will push more air through the mask material and out the sides of the mask. So, try to limit conversations. If you do have discussions, turn the radio down so that you’re not speaking over other noises.
Seating Arrangements
When carpooling with just one other person, it’s safest to sit far apart. The passenger should sit in the back seat, passenger side. This diagonal seating arrangement places each person at the furthest distance possible. If there are 3 people and 3 rows in the car, stagger the seating along each row to maximize distance.
Carpool Participants
The best way to limit your exposure is to keep your carpool participants consistent. The fewer people in close proximity to one another, the lower the risk. Additionally, have an agreement that anyone with increased risk should stay out of the pool until it’s safe. Increased risk may include:
- Symptoms of any type.
- Travel out of state.
- Exposure to someone with a confirmed test.
Other COVID Precautions and Carpool Safety Tips
In addition to the above, there are some other COVID precautions you can take. Regularly wipe down high touch surfaces in your car, especially before or after you use the same vehicle to transport other groups of people (such as your family members). Ask everyone to use medical grade masks instead of plain cloth masks. Avoid touching your eyes or mouth before washing your hands. Lastly, don’t eat in the vehicle. We hope these carpool safety tips help keep you and your carpool group healthy and safe as you return to normal work routines.
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