3 ms·

> "Since it was about 70 degrees outside, I didn’t use the heater or air conditioning in the car. However, with the windows closed, over 15 minute drive the CO

> "Since it was about 70 degrees outside, I didn’t use the heater or air conditioning in the car. However, with the windows closed, over 15 minute drive the CO2 level inside the car rose to 1,900 ppm. They immediately dropped when I opened the door and went to get my coffee, then rose again to 2,400 ppm on the trip back." > "In a study conducted by SenseAir, they found that with 4 adults in a car, the CO2 level could reach 6,000 ppm even with the fresh air ventilation turned on. This is important to know, as between 10 and 30% of all automobile accidents are attributed to drowsiness." That sounds like an extraordinary claim. There have been discussions on HN before about CO2 levels in classrooms and offices, and what it might cost for education and productivity, and discussions about if atmospheric CO2 levels approached thousands of ppm and lowered the effective intelligence of every living person. But they were speculative comments. This claim that inside cars it easily reaches into their "levels associated with complaints of drowsiness [...] headaches, sleepiness [...] maybe poor concentration, loss of attention" is significant. They say 10-30% of car accidents are attributed to drowsiness, the NHTSA estimates 43k people died in car accidents last year, is that also 10-30% of fatal car accidents attributed to drowsiness? Or 4k-12k deaths/year? And compared to the billions spent on self-driving cars, how much is spent on ventilation and cabin CO2 monitoring? [1] https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/early-estimate-2021-traffic-fatalities https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/early-estimate-2021-tra...

mshook 4y ago
There was a study which focused on pilots... https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/carbon-dioxide-levels-on-flight-deck-affect-airline-pilot-performance/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/carbon-diox... The results are very interesting to say the least: The findings showed that the pilots were 69% more likely to receive a passing grade on a maneuver when CO2 levels were 700 ppm compared with 2,500 ppm. When CO2 levels were 1,500 ppm, the pilots were 52% more likely to successfully perform a maneuver than when CO2 levels were 2,500 ppm. When the researchers compared the difference in pilot performance at 700 ppm and 1,500 ppm, the difference was not statistically significant, but they did find that pilots were more likely to successfully perform some of the most difficult maneuvers at the lower CO2 level. The study also found that the negative effects of CO2 on flight performance became more pronounced the longer the pilots were in the simulator.

mshook 4y ago

There was a study which focused on pilots... https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/carbon-dioxide-levels-on-flight-deck-affect-airline-pilot-performance/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/carbon-diox... The results are very interesting to say the least: The findings showed that the pilots were 69% more likely to receive a passing grade on a maneuver when CO2 levels were 700 ppm compared with 2,500 ppm. When CO2 levels were 1,500 ppm, the pilots were 52% more likely to successfully perform a maneuver than when CO2 levels were 2,500 ppm. When the researchers compared the difference in pilot performance at 700 ppm and 1,500 ppm, the difference was not statistically significant, but they did find that pilots were more likely to successfully perform some of the most difficult maneuvers at the lower CO2 level. The study also found that the negative effects of CO2 on flight performance became more pronounced the longer the pilots were in the simulator.