By and large, vehicle owners tend to underestimate the perils of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, simply because they’re unaware of it until it can sometimes be too late. In automotive-related scenarios, such incidences are related to a leaking exhaust, primarily occurring in stationary vehicles that have their engine – and air-conditioner – running.
Because CO generally has no odour or taste, occupants don’t usually realise what’s happening, more so when napping in the vehicle. The consequences can be fatal. However, such incidences can also occur in vehicles on the move, as was the case yesterday when a family of four, including two children, were found unconscious in an MPV which crashed into a westbound Bentong toll booth barrier, as Bernama reports.
In the incident, which occurred at 2.40 pm, the vehicle came to a stop at a toll booth concrete barrier after colliding with it, with the occupants all unconscious. Police personnel conducting an Ops Selamat patrol as well as toll booth staff, with the assistance of members of the public, managed to get the victims out.
According to Bentong police chief Superintendent Zaiham Mohd Kahar, the family of four were on their way from Tok Bali, Kelantan to Balakong, Selangor, and a medical examination following the mishap confirmed they passed out due to a lack of oxygen. “The condition caused the vehicle to crash into the toll barrier,” he said, adding that all four occupants regained consciousness and were not in danger.
The potential danger of CO poisoning should not be underestimated, and not just with older vehicles, where an exhaust leak is more likely to happen. It can also happen in newer cars, as indicated last year by national institute of occupational safety and health (NIOSH) vice-chairman Senator Datuk T. Mohan.
He said the general impression that CO leakages can only happen in old vehicles is not true because it can also happen in new vehicles. He said that gas leaks can occur from the exhaust and enter the passenger cabin without anyone realising.
“Symptoms of poisoning can be detected with early signs such as temperature changes in the cabin and nausea. If there are any of these signs, the windows should be opened immediately in addition to the air conditioning and the engine should also be turned off immediately,” he said then.
So, if you’re going to take a rest at a R&R area, please don’t nap with the engine and AC running. If you’re in the car with the engine idling or moving slowly in heavy traffic conditions, and start encountering nausea, dizziness or a headache, among other things, wind down all the windows and, when it’s safe to do so, get out of the vehicle. Stay safe, folks.
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Potong “quality”
Power window problem to be blamed.. 40yrs local in existence still can’t get it right. It’s time to Ubah
Are you sure the power window to be blamed.dont make any assumption before you know the real problem
Still living in the past.
Three uni students died in a Honda Odyssey of carbon monoxide poisoning back in 2020, in Seberang Jaya, Pulau Pinang.
Honda “quality”?
Need a Carbon monoxide detector…
Or, auto-on/self on off Outdoor ventilator to help circulate at a frequency.
Battery car got A/C, also need.
Exora with CPS engine one can only guess how old is the car. Do hope the whole family is safe and well too.
Old cars need to be inspected by Puspakom regularly to avoid many bad things such as this case.
Do puspakom do inspection that can detect this defect? Does it do exhaust leakage into cabin detection?
EVs send its regards.
If EV especially China one, the family would be BBQ already.
Laughs in burning teslas
Apa betul ke? Only from Serpentza YouTube video? BMW once virally known to have engine fires seems to be ok je.
Janganlah sebar fakenews.
No one knows who Serpentza is except CCP little pink. China EV catching fire news are all over the internet. Google it.
youtube is your only info is it?
these falun dafa devotees very hardworking at spreading fake news locally
Most in Malaysia don’t know who Falun and Serpentza are. Only CCP little pink obsess with them.
Takdak recall ka? Bnyk bahaya ni kalau laju dihighway, selalu org blame microsleep, ini megasleep.
And yet many failed to understood the writings
HUMANS breathe in Oxygen
Breath out what ? HYdrogen ?
While it say can also happen in new cars very likely A-segment cars with luayah airCond
During the Bakuteh Dynasty they already invent the fart detector only need to modify abit can using in car one.
That’s why most conti cars always default to switching off recirculation and let fresh outside air in, and the auto stop start on conti cars are more aggressive then what we get from Japan/local cars. Sure every now and then have to manually on recirculation because the pollution is overwhelming but it’s a good idea to always let fresh air in every now and then.
But us Malaysians semua tak suka, everything want comfort, off recirculation, aircond blower becomes not strong. Eco idle/auto stop start also tak suka because aircond stops but never think about pedestrians, people on motorbike at traffic light having to inhale poisonous fumes from our car. When waiting at roadside infront of school, at dobi while waiting for clothes, also engine needs to be on because want aircond while indirectly polluting the environment and affecting everyone in the vicinity. Selfish and self centred.
Paling best I’ve encountered is modified exhaust and do all of the above. Now we have noise pollution and air pollution combo. Brainless, selfish.
malaysian paling suka use OLD CARS. go any car forum, always hear the words RESALE VALUE. because used car is a celebrated thing here (3rd world country, no choice). Old cars mean high risk of things that failed, or broken, but often cannot be detected even thru regular servicing. Still wanna get that 50,000 old car compared to a brand new one at same price? go ahead. have fun risking your live and your families lives.