Low Winter Sun Is An Unseen Danger-Reprinted from IWFA

The sun's low angle and path of travel in fall and winter may present an unseen danger for people unprotected from its harmful UV rays, leading to possible skin cancer, eye damage and vehicle accidents from blinding glare, according to The International Window Film Association (IWFA).

The main unseen danger is skin cancer. The sun's UV radi­a­tion is a lead­ing fac­tor in the devel­op­ment of skin can­cers and the face, head and neck tend to remain exposed in winter months, where most skin can­cers occur. UV rays are ever present and up to 80 percent of the sun`s rays can pene­trate clouds.

"UV rays can also pen­e­trate unprotected glass, so it`s pos­si­ble to dam­age your skin and eyes while indoors near a window on a win­ter`s day," said Darrell Smith, executive director of the IWFA. "During winter, the sun's low angle can more readily enter side windows and this glare can temporarily blind drivers making it hard to see clearly and possibly lead to an accident," he added.

Window films block 99 percent of the sun's harmful UV spectrum and may have other benefits based on the product selected, such as a low-e coating to reflect heat back indoors in winter, reduce solar heat gain by up to 84 percent in summer, knock down the sun's glare and provide an added level of safety by holding glass shards in place when a window is broken.

The nonprofit IWFA offers helpful resources for the public to learn about indoor sun damage. A brief video called "What You Need To Know About Indoor Sun Protection" is available. The IWFA offers a downloadable booklet called Beauty Inside and Out, that covers steps to prevent cumulative skin damage.

During the cooler fall and winter months, window film businesses may offer faster installation timelines as the public may only think about window film in hotter months. When air conditioners are set at maximum in their homes and cars, most people only seek to have window films installed during the height of summer.

The International Window Film Association (IWFA) (www.iwfa.com) is a nonprofit industry body of window film dealers, distributors, and manufacturers that facilitates the growth of the window film industry through education, research, advocacy and public awareness. Like us on Facebook and see more information on YouTube.