Photo via The Star
This story is one that isn’t uncommon, yet people seem to take it for granted that it’s okay to sleep in a car with the engine running, as these college students in Penang found out the hard way.
What was supposed to be a casual outing between four friends just before their graduation turned sour, just because they decided to take a nap in their car.
The four women, all 21-years-old, were found unconscious in their car at a petrol station in Sama Gagah, next to the North– South Expressway, early yesterday (September 18th), believed to be caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.
It’s understood that one of them was pronounced dead at the scene, another died shortly after arriving at the hospital, while another succumbed after being warded.
Only one of them survived.
Police said the victims were on their way back to Sungai Petani, Kedah after having visited Pulau Jerejak, and they had stopped for a rest at the petrol station before continuing with their journey.
They added that a leakage was found in the car’s exhaust, resulting in engine emissions being drawn into the cabin as the vehicle was stationary.
A consultant at Sungai Petani’s Pantai Hospital, Dr Azril Haris Yafee Amar told The Star, “Roll down the windows a bit if you want to take a rest inside the car. It may be uncomfortable, but it won’t kill you. Many say an hour of napping is alright, but the risks are still there, and one can die of suffocation as the same air is recirculated inside the car.”
He added that carbon monoxide in the car cabin could lead to unconsciousness, or even a cardiac arrest.
So if you’re driving out for a long journey and you really need to take a nap in your car, at least do it with the engine off and the windows down a little.
Be safe, guys!
by Kyle Roshen Jacob
