Once again, states out East have been hammered with severe blizzards – the kind more commonly experienced right here in Minnesota.
We have been fortunate so far this winter, with very little snow and only five or six nights of below-zero temperatures. But let’s remind ourselves that winter is far from over and we could get hit with nasty weather, the kind that puts lives in jeopardy. As Minnesotans, it’s too easy to let our guard down when a less-than-severe winter causes a mild January.
A tragic story that happened out East in New Jersey Jan. 3 should remind us never to let our guard down when it comes to winter. A 23-year-old New Jersey mother and her 1-year-old son died of carbon-monoxide poisoning in Passaic. A 3-year-old daughter is in critical condition. All three were sitting in their vehicle while the father was outside shoveling around the vehicle to get it unstuck from snow. While doing so, he covered the tailpipe, causing carbon monoxide to back up into the vehicle.
Another man in Pennsylvania died in similar circumstances.
Many people out East, unused to such snowstorms, are unaware of all the dangers that can lurk when snow creates treacherous conditions. We who know of such things can easily forget them when a mild winter comes our way.
Besides keeping a winter-survival kit and plenty of heavy blankets in a vehicle, people should be sure to use precautions to guard against carbon-monoxide poisoning, which can happen so quickly inside a car because the poison can creep up so quickly, making one drowsy and then causing death as a person drifts into a sleepy unconsciousness.
The following are tips to remember:
- Always be sure the tailpipe of a vehicle is cleared of ice, snow or other debris and keep a window cracked at all times.
- Do not put children or others inside a vehicle while clearing snow or ice outside the vehicle.
- Never leave a child alone inside a vehicle, under any conditions.
- At home, make sure carbon-monoxide detectors are in good working order. Check batteries once a year and test the detectors.
- Never allow children to play in or near vehicles that are running, and be sure to hide all ignition keys from children.
- Never warm up a vehicle for any length of time in an enclosed space, such as in a garage. Carbon-monoxide death can occur very quickly in those conditions. Never leave a vehicle idling in a garage, even if the garage door is open.
- If you have keyless ignitions, be very careful that a car is turned off, especially if it is a garage where children could get into it.
On average, about 150 people, including about 40 children, die each year nationwide of carbon-monoxide poisoning, according to KidsandCars.org. Those deaths most often happen in winter – usually in vehicles or in homes. And that is why, in milder winters, we Minnesotans tend to forget the dangers. Let’s do our best to remember them and to remind one another of them.
