ICYMI: sun shades are a gem on scorching-hot Idaho summer days

It turns out our grandparents and our parents were right: a good windshield sun shade really does keep your car cooler during blistering Idaho summer days.

Now, before you brush off the old-school suggestion, hear us out. A flimsy quilt made from tin foil may not look like it does much, but it can actually make a noticeable difference in how hot or cool your car stays on scorching summer days in the Gem State. 

According to Braman BMW, popping a decent sun shade in your car, truck, or van's front windshield can lower your car's internal temper up to 25%. By the way, if you think tints are enough to protect your interior, think again, friend. As long as you're careful not to scrape the windshield, the pros at Car Shades recommend using sun shades to maximize your interior's protection. 

All in favor of not riding around Boise in a sauna for the first 15 minutes of your morning drive, raise your hand!

Shady cars are happy cars 😎 

We'd hate for you to learn the harsh consequences of NOT using a sun shade they way we did! Devastating experience has taught us some pretty hard lessons about the havoc a 109-degree Idaho scorcher can wreak on our ride's interior finishes.

Whether it's authentic leather, a bonded leather-pleather combo, rubber, or cloth, zapping your car's interior with a stream of intense infrared rays while you float the Boise River for three-and-a-half hours can fade your dash, seats, and even the steering wheel. If that doesn't sound bad enough, sometimes it can leave whitish leopard-like spots or cause cracking or splitting! No, thanks. 

Love the skin (& the interior) you're cruisin' in!

After sacrificing our first two cars to the Idaho sun gods, today we protect our car's interior like we do our own skin. We basically think of sun shades as sunscreen for our cars.

But it's not all about looks, y'all. Do you know how many times we've burned our hands on a searing steering wheel or our derrieres on a piping-hot seat or seat belt buckle?!  

Do yourself a favor and shade it up, Idahomies. It can literally save your car's interior and your @$$ from second-degree burns this summer 😆

Scroll for...

  • 13 things Idahoans need to pull out of their hot cars right now

  • The 10 most popular makes & models getting tickets on Idaho roads

  • The five most popular trucks on Idaho roads

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  • 12 of the most stolen car & truck parts in Idaho

  • 9 most damaging violations to have on your ID driving record

  • The nifty speeding loophole more Idaho drivers should use

13 Things Idahoans Need to Pull Out of Their Hot Cars Right Now

Idaho summers aren't the hottest around, but don't let that fool you.

The Gem State hits triple-digit temps often enough for locals to regret leaving these 13 things in their cars during the hottest weeks of the year 😳

Gallery Credit: Ryan Antoinette Valenzuela & Lori Crofford

10 Most Popular Makes and Models Getting Speeding Tickets

To identify the car brands with the most speed-prone drivers, the data scientists at Insurify turned to their database of more than 4.6 million car insurance applications. When applying for car insurance, drivers disclose their vehicle make and model, as well as any citations, such as speeding tickets, they have on their driving record within the past seven years. For each vehicle brand, Insurify data scientists compared the number of drivers reporting a speeding ticket against the total number of drivers in the database to determine the share of drivers with a speeding ticket.

Gallery Credit: Kyle Matthews

Here are the Top 5 Most Popular Trucks in Idaho (Are You Driving One of These?)

Gallery Credit: Parker Kane

12 Car Parts & Accessories Idaho Thieves Steal The Most

They may have resigned themselves to a life of career crime, but Idaho car thieves are getting savvier by the year. You may be surprised by what they're able to resell on the black market.

Gallery Credit: Ryan Antoinette Valenzuela

9 Moving Violations That Do the Most Damage to Your Idaho Driving Record

According to the Idaho Transportation Department, these are the 9 moving violations that can lead to 4 points being added onto your license.

Gallery Credit: Michelle Heart

The Nifty Speeding Loophole More Idaho Drivers Should Use

Did you know Idaho residents can do 15 mph over the speed limit to pass a slow car on the highway? It's true! But this handy loophole doesn't give us a free pass to speed whenever we want.

Scroll on for the do's and don'ts of Idaho's passing loophole...

Gallery Credit: Ryan Antoinette Valenzuela

Way to scroll the distance!

And thanks for supporting Idaho media. Have an opinion on what you read? You're welcome to share it at ryan.valenzuela@townsquaremedia.com 🙂

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