By Jamie Barry W e have all seen it or have done it and that is pulling out of our driveway or parking lot without properly clearing off our vehicle. e all know that this can be dangerous once we are on the road, but did you know that it could be more harmful while your car is still parked. Public health agencies are warning drivers that leaving the motor running while clearing snow from a vehicle is bad, 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 and 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 the seats, before brushing off the snow or scraping off the ice.
This is something that is easily preventable if you just do the right thing — don’t start your car until it’s cleared off and keep everyone safe on and off the road. So, what are the symptoms to look for regard- ing carbon monoxide poisoning? Well common symptoms are; headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea which some may confuse with symptoms of the common cold. So, what if the symptoms worsen when getting in your vehicle as if your car is not cleared properly then these easy to recog- nize symptoms can quickly escalate to loss of con- sciousness and possibly death in severe cases. So, should you happen to be clearing your car while it has been running and then get in your car and start driving and start to feel unwell, you should pull the car over and get out of the car, 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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FEBRUARY 2019 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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