Cold weather and transport

As we move into the cooler months of the year, Queenslanders know that, for most part that mostly means more mild days and, for the most part, just colder nights. 

Of course, certain areas of Queensland can hit the very low single digits at night (even some minus temperatures), which in itself can affect certain aspects of the transport industry.

Drivers

During the summer, the biggest issue any driver needs to face is the heat. Excessive temperatures and humidity can lead to heat exhaustion and even the possibility of heat stroke. In the winter, the days do get cooler, but for the most part they don’t pose that much of an issue. In fact, when you get out into the regional areas of Queensland, particularly further up north, day time temperatures can still sit anywhere between the high 20s to the high 30s.

But it’s the night time where temperatures can change drastically, particularly as you move further inland. This is where drivers need to exercise care, whether driving for business or driving for pleasure. While cool temperatures in Queensland aren’t going to lead to frostbite, extreme cold can still have negative health effects. Sure, there’s no evidence to suggest that colds and flus are caused by winter conditions, but when you do start suffering from such symptoms, the lower temperatures can exacerbate the condition.

Outside of feeling sick, the general chill can make it harder to focus and function, which can be a very negative thing when you need to drive.

Vehicles

On the vehicle front, cold weather can have a very real impact. All you have to do is think of when you’ve tried to start up an old car during winter and it’s taken several turns of the ignition before the it actually fires up. 

Modern day vehicles may be less susceptible to such issues, but the cold weather can still affect larger vehicles and machinery. Construction and mining equipment provider caterpillar even offers some tips on how to better operate some of its machinery during the winter months, such as blocking the radiator temporarily to help vehicle heat up quicker so that it doesn’t stall or shut off. You can check it out here.

In essence, the way in which hot weather can threaten to overheat vehicles, cold weather opens up the possibility that it could be more demanding for your vehicle to maintain enough heat to properly operate.

* Image source: Andy Melton