MPV crashes into Bentong toll barrier after passenger passes out from carbon monoxide poisoning
In general, vehicle owners tend to underestimate the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, simply because they don’t know about it until sometimes it may be too late. In automotive-related situations, such incidents are related to leaked emissions, which mainly occur in stationary vehicles with engines – and air conditioners – running.
Because CO usually has no smell or taste, car occupants often don’t realize what’s going on, especially when napping in the car. Consequences can be fatal. However, such incidents can also occur in moving vehicles, as was the case yesterday when a family of four, including two children, was found unconscious in a vehicle. an MPV crashed into the fence of the westward Bentong toll station. Bernama report.
In the incident, which happened at 2:40 p.m., the car stopped in front of a concrete toll barrier after colliding with it, and the occupants were unconscious. Police officers patrolling Ops Selamat as well as toll station staff, with the support of the people, managed to get the victims out.
According to police chief Bentong Zaiham Mohd Kahar, the family of four were on their way from Tok Bali, Kelantan to Balakong, Selangor, and the post-accident medical examination confirmed they were unconscious due to lack of oxygen. “This situation caused the vehicle to crash into the toll barrier,” he said, adding that all four occupants were conscious and not in danger.
The potential risk of CO poisoning should not be underestimated, and not just with older vehicles, where exhaust leaks are more likely to occur. It can also occurs in newer carsas pointed out last year by the vice president of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Senator Datuk T. Mohan.
He says the general impression that CO leaks can only happen in older vehicles is not true because it can also happen in new vehicles. He said that gas leaks can happen from the exhaust pipe and enter the passenger compartment without anyone noticing.
“Symptoms of poisoning can be detected early with signs such as changes in cabin temperature and nausea. If any of these signs are present, the windows should be opened immediately apart from the air conditioning and the engine should also be turned off immediately,” he said afterwards.
So if you are going to rest at the R&R area, please do not take a nap while the engine and air conditioner are running. If you are in a vehicle with the engine idling or moving slowly in heavy traffic and start to feel nauseous, dizzy or have a headache, among other symptoms, lower all the windows. window down and when it is safe to get out of the vehicle. Stay safe, people.
