This disturbing conclusion comes from a UK survey done at the request of home store B&Q. While 80 bacteria are found on each square inch of toilet, around 700 harmful bugs lurk in the interior of a car and specifically on the steering wheel, gear stick and back seats. The study also revealed that 42 percent of motorists regularly eat meals while driving.
“A car is the perfect place for germs to breed, especially if you eat in it and leave litter or uneaten food around. To avoid potential health risks it would be wise to regularly clean your car inside and out,” said doctor Ron Cutler, director of biomedical science at Queen Mary University, London.
According to the study, only a third of the people questioned admitted cleaning the inside of their cars once a year, while ten percent said they never wiped down surfaces or vacuumed their cars.
“Most people clean their homes but many are neglecting to clean their cars and are driving around in vehicles which resemble a rubbish bin,” said Cutler. “While most of the bacteria were unlikely to cause health problems, some cars were found to play host to a number of potentially harmful bacterial species,” he added.
The dirtiest area of a car is the boot, with 1,000 bacteria for every 1.5 square inches. The most common bugs found in cars are the bacillus cereus (found in rice, pasta, potatoes and pies) and the arthrobacter (found in soil and human skin).
The study also showed that 66 percent of motorists did not check oil and engine coolant before driving for long distances and did not know how to change a tire. Half of them didn’t know how to check if the tire tread was legal, a third had no idea how to inflate a tire and more than half couldn’t replace a windscreen wiper. However, one question researchers failed to ask their subjects is whether they could tie their own shoelaces…
By Dan Mihalascu
Source: Daily Mail
