Mazda has started attaching stickers to its convertibles to warn of the dangers associated with prolonged sun exposure.
By MARTY CLEAR
Published June 11, 2004
The latest cancer warning comes not from the surgeon general, but from Mazda.
Last month, Mazda dealers around the country started putting stickers on the windshields of all their cars with convertible tops and sunroofs.
"Attention!" reads the bright red-and-yellow sticker. "Protect your exterior. Apply a fresh coat. Mazda reminds you to use sunscreen when the top is open."
The message is a little light-hearted, perhaps even tongue-in-cheek, Mazda officials said. But it addresses a problem that's deadly serious and probably not widely enough recognized.
Essentially, what Mazda wants you to know is that the cumulative effect of "incidental" sun exposure is an important cause of skin cancer. If you drive with the top down only 20 minutes a day, that's more than 120 hours a year of additional sun exposure. It's something most of us don't think too much about.
"We can say that cigarettes cause cancer, but you always know when you're smoking a cigarette," said Dr. Henry Wiley, a Tampa dermatologist and a spokesman for the Skin Cancer Foundation, Mazda's partner in the program. "But someone who's taking out the garbage may not know that he's getting sun."
It's a serious problem, Wiley said. One telling piece of evidence is that many more people get skin cancer on the left sides of their bodies than the right. The presumption, Wiley said, is that the difference is due to sunlight coming in from the open driver's-side window, and the too-common-practice of resting the left arm on the door frame while driving.
In a convertible, you still get a little sun protection from the windshield and other parts of the car, even with the top down. Your legs, for example, are largely shielded from direct sun.
But keeping the top up provides a whole lot more protection, and closing the windows does even more. Pamela Munster, an oncologist at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, said a German study in 2003 showed that, compared to full sun exposure, drivers get 4 percent exposure with the windows closed, 25-30 percent with the windows open, and 62 percent with the top down.
Neither Munster nor Wiley - nor Mazda officials - expect people to shun convertibles, and they don't expect owners to fearfully keep their tops closed at all times.
"What I would urge people to do," Wiley said, "is to take control of their lives and make informed decisions about what the risks are, and to make judgments accordingly."
A lot of people think convertibles are fun, Wiley said, and fun is an important part of life. And certainly, most convertible owners aren't going to slather on sunscreen every time they take a 10-minute trip to the store.
But there are more convenient steps convertible owners can take, such as applying sunscreen every day, right after a morning shower. That's a good idea for everyone, Wiley said, not just people who drive convertibles. A little caution is better than none at all, and a program you can stick with is a whole lot better than one you can't.
Convertible drivers can reduce their sun exposure by keeping the top up during the mid-day hours, he said. They can still enjoy their top-down experience in the morning, in the evening and after sunset.
And drivers are well-advised to keep the top up during the summer months. Most people in Florida do that anyway - it's too hot to have the top down during the day in summer - but Wiley cautions that nice weather doesn't mean there's no risk of skin cancer.
"Most people think of ultraviolet exposure in terms of temperature," he said. "It's a natural thought process, but it's not accurate. In March and April, it's pleasant to be out there, but there's a lot of ultraviolet."
Mazda officials began developing the idea for the warning stickers earlier this year. Several of them were driving Miatas from their Southern California headquarters to an event quite a distance away, and someone noticed they were all wearing wide-brimmed hats. The year-round convertible weather in their part of the country probably made them more aware of the dangers of sun exposure. They decided their customers should be aware too.
Manufacturers warn customers about all sorts of safety issues (e.g., wearing seat belts and not just depending on air bags), so the Mazda people decided that sun exposure was another hazard they should warn people about.
"It's better to be up front," said Jay Amestoy, a vice president at Mazda North American Corp. who is currently being treated for a pre-cancerous skin condition. "If we're lucky, we'll have enough of an effect that we can make a difference for a few people, or hopefully many people."
There's a commercial interest in the program, Amestoy said. Mazda hopes to get attention from the warning stickers, and hopes to be perceived as a company that cares about its customers.
So far, in the early weeks of the program, that seems to be the case.
"The response from our dealers has been very positive," he said. "The stickers give them something to talk to customers about."
The Skin Cancer Foundation's Web site (www.skincancer.org) has a wealth of information about the disease. Below are some general prevention tips the foundation offers.
1. Do not sunbathe.
2. Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., the peak hours for harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
3. When outdoors, use sunscreens rated SPF 15 or higher. Apply them liberally, uniformly and frequently.
4. When exposed to sunlight, wear protective clothing such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts, broad-brimmed hats, and UV-protective sunglasses.
5. Stay away from artificial tanning devices.
6. Teach your children good sun protection habits at an early age: The damage that leads to adult skin cancers starts in childhood.
7. Examine your skin head-to-toe at least once every three months.
