CHENNAI: Automobile experts point out that a slight leak in the exhaust system can result in accumulation of carbon monoxide in the car cabin. Even a brief inhaling of the poisonous gas will put the person to deep sleep and he won’t even have the consciousness to battle against his imminent death.
“Most of the times, the occupant may not notice any difference, leading to slow death,” said D Kritish Shenoy, an automobile engineer.
He said the temperature in a normal car was around 72 degrees Fahrenheit, which increases by five degrees within an hour, once the AC stops. As hours pass, the oxygen-level drops leading to suffocation.
“In cars, there are usually four vents in the front, and usually, the air from the exterior is cooled and circulated into the cabin. When the engine runs for long and the fuel gets dried up, the AC will stop functioning,” said Benjamin Shiloh Davidson, of PSG College of Technology.
The AC in a car not only cools it down, but also reduces the moisture content, or humidity. There is energy used in removing the heat and moisture from the air in the car, and this consumes fuel because of the extra engine power. Health experts claim that when the temperature in the car increases, the man would automatically sweat more, resulting in dehydration.