It is the winter season and if you do any driving when the snow falls at some point in time we all have either seen or may have even done it our- selves when in a rush to get on the road in the morning for work or to get the kids to school. What I am talking about is, pull out of your driveway or parking lot without properly clearing off our vehicles. We all know how dangerous flying ice and snow can be once we are on the road, we have either had ice flying off another car come at you like a torpedo on the highway or have seen it happen on YouTube to an unexpected driver. But did you know that clearing off your vehicle while you are still parked and running could be even more harmful to you and your family, if you are not careful when you clean off your car or truck. Public health agencies and car associations alike are warning drivers that leaving the motor running while clearing snow from a vehicle is harmful and potentially fatal, as it can take as little as a minute for enough carbon monoxide to build up that it reaches dangerous levels inside of the vehicle. The more encased the vehicle is in snow the quicker the gas builds up. This is not just a danger for drivers that leave their vehicles running and jump in after it has been cleared off, but parents should also be aware of the dangers as we often fasten our kids in to their Winter Road Safety Snow-covered vehicles can be a hazard in the driveway and on the road by Lee Ann Atwater
seats to get ready for the drive, before we start brushing off the snow or scrapping the ice off the windshield. The good part is that this is something that is easily preventable if you just do the right thing — don’t start your car until it’s cleared out and off to keep you and everyone else safe both on and off the road. The common symptoms you should look for and recognize for carbon monoxide poisoning are; headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea all can be confused with symptoms of the common cold. However, if your symptoms seem to be getting worse after you get into your vehicle and drive, you should pull the car over in a safe location, put the windows down, get out of the car and get yourself some air while the vehicle airs out so that you are not putting yourself or anyone else in a potentially dangerous situation.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2020
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