The new virus, COVID-19, is on everyone’s mind.  Many of us spend time in our cars, and although we understand the importance of washing our hands, who really considers sanitising the car itself?

Drivers, especially those in the public passenger trade, must do their part to reduce the likelihood of spreading the virus.

Cleaning and sanitizing your car is easy to do.

Here are some tips to virus-proof your car (especially in the event you carry passengers or your car is driven by more than one person):

1. Wash your hands or use hand sanitiser before getting into your car
2. Always have bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitiser and packets of disinfecting wipes in the car. While getting these wipes might be a challenge, there are do-it-your recipes including infusing baby wipes with at least 60 per cent alcohol that can be used.
3. Wash or sanitise your hands on an hourly basis or whenever you come in contact with other people and/or their possessions
4. Offer the sanitiser or the use of wipes to all passengers
5. Wipe down the interior of your car with disinfectant, especially those areas which are touched frequently – door handles, door latches, lock buttons, seat belts and buckles, window buttons, mirrors, radio and climate control buttons.
6. Spend extra time cleaning the steering wheel and gear selector lever or the turn indicator stalks; redundant controls for controls for radio, voice, cruise, navigation features; and paddle shift levers.
7. Be vigilant to sanitise the armrests for the door and centre consoles, display screens, cupholders, cubbyholes, air conditioner vents and even the door “grab handles.” These places and things are touched more than you realise. Though bleach and hydrogen peroxide are great germ killers, they could cause damage to your car. They damage most of the plastic parts in your vehicle.
8. Wash your car as often as is possible.

For licensed public transportation operators, please follow the stipulations from the Government to carry one less passenger that you are licensed. These measures have been put in place to facilitate social distancing and limit the spread of COVID-19.

Social distancing, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “is the practice of maintaining a greater than usual physical distance from other people or of avoiding direct contact with people or objects in public places during the outbreak of a contagious disease in order to minimise exposure and reduce the transmission of infection”.