KUALA LUMPUR: Experts have advised motorists to take their cars for inspection before travelling long distance for the Hari Raya Haji holidays.
They have also cautioned against napping in cars with the engines and air conditioning on.
The experts’ fear is of carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be fatal. According to them, with the current heatwave, motorists are more likely to have the air conditioners on at full blast and all windows up as they take a break during long trips, thus putting themselves at risk.
They cited the incident three years ago, when four 21-year-old college students decided to take a nap at a petrol station on their way back from vacationing in Pulau Jerejak, Penang, with the air conditioning and engine on and windows up.
Little did they know there was a leak in the exhaust system, which pumped carbon monoxide into the car cabin. Three of them died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Despite the shocking deaths, cases of carbon monoxide poisoning still occur, something experts say is completely preventable, especially in a warm climate such as Malaysia.
“I think Malaysians probably know a little about it but they don’t understand how things happen. Definitely awareness is needed,” Dr Nurul Yaqeen Mohd Esa, consultant in internal medicine and respiratory medicine at Sunway Medical Centre Velocity told Bernama.
On April 24 this year, a family of four, including two children, fell unconscious due to carbon monoxide poisoning, and crashed their car into the westbound toll barrier in Bentong, Pahang. The public and police managed to revive the four.
Dr Nurul said there were 4,000 cases and 30 deaths per year worldwide. Malaysia does not keep track of carbon monoxide poisonings although there have been several cases reported over the years.
Asian Hyperbaric and Diving Medical Association President Dr Andrew Ng said severe cases in Malaysia were quite rare.
He added that this did not mean people were safe from carbon monoxide poisoning, noting that doctors tend to only see cases when the poisoning was severe.
The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety (Miros) recommended that motorists check their cars for leaks in the exhaust system before going on long trips.
It suggested changing the car’s air circulation mode or winding down the windows occasionally.
Dr Ng said opening one window in the back and the front would encourage a cross-breeze.
“Switch off the air-conditioner, switch off the engine. Then there would be no carbon monoxide.”
