Truck Insurance group, NTI has posted information, informing truck and vehicle operators about what they can do to help keep vehicles coronavirus free during the ongoing crisis.
The NTI statement says that Australia’s truck drivers are implementing stringent cleaning measures to stay safe during the COVID-19 outbreak, and now transport and medical experts are sharing their advice on how all motorists can help keepvehicles coronavirus-free.
Many families still need their car to get to work or pick up groceries, and NTI said it was important drivers know how toprotect themselves from COVID-19.
Clinical Director of national telehealth service 13 Doctor, Dr Ryan Harvey, said the first priority had to be hygiene.
“The best practice a person can employ is general hygiene,” Dr Harvey said.
“Washing hands regularly with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds and regularly using hand sanitiser is the best way to combat germs and stop the spread of any virus. In your vehicle, consider having hand sanitiser in your centre console so it’seasily accessible.
“You’ll also need to regularly clean the interior of your vehicle. No special formulations are required, just soap and water and general cleaning products.”
NTI’s Business Relationships and Operations Manager Paul Burke said that’s what Australia’s truckies have been doing.
“Truck drivers are regularly cleaning the interior surfaces, focusing on areas they touch the most. The steering wheel is anobvious one but it’s important to also concentrate on the gear stick, door handles, seatbelts, radio controls, windowswitches and fuel filler caps,” he said.
“You can use disinfectant wipes for areas like the steering wheel if you wish but you want to make sure you don’t damagethe vehicle’s interior so steer clear of bleach or ammonia-based products.”
Mr Burke said if the vehicle was still being used regularly, drivers should consider an air conditioning sanitiser clean once a week.
“For peace of mind, drivers might consider sanitising their vehicle’s air conditioning system using a sanitiser/cleaner pressurepack. To do this, put the air con on the recirculate mode with the fans on full. Wind your windows up and release a can ofsanitiser spray inside the car. Shut the car door and leave the engine running for about 10 minutes so the disinfectant canmake its way around the car’s interior.
“We’ve also seen many truck drivers opt for protective plastic seat covers and disposable floor mats so they can make surethe vehicle stays clean. This might be worth considering for motorists, especially if there’s more than one driver using thevehicle.”
