September 17, 2013 • Page 17 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com How To Improve Is There A Link Indoor Air Quality Between Car Color As Winter Approaches And Accidents? With fall soon to give way to winter, many people will soon be spending more time indoors. Winter weather can be harsh, and it can be difficult for fresh air to make its way into a home once the warmer temperatures of summer and fall give way to the cold days of winter. Poor indoor air quality can cause multiple problems. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, poor indoor air quality can increase a person’s risk of developing pneumonia, and it also may aggravate existing respiratory conditions such as asthma. The EPA also notes that long-term exposure to indoor air pollution can increase a person’s risk for heart disease, respiratory diseases and even cancer. Because indoor air pollution can be so devastating, many homeowners look for ways to improve their indoor air quality, especially before the arrival of winter, when residents of the home figure to spend such a significant amount of time indoors. Fortunately, homeowners can take many steps to do just that. •Clean with soap and water. Soap and hot water can still clean a home effectively, and this age-old combination might be the healthiest way to clean as well. Many household cleaning products contain potentially harmful ingredients that can introduce toxins and irritants into a home. Avoid such cleaners and solvents when cleaning a home. If stains prove too stubborn for soap and water, be sure to open windows when using potentially harmful cleaners indoors. •Purchase an air filtration system. Air filtration systems vary significantly in size, cost and function. Some systems are designed to remove specific pollutants, and may not be effective at removing additional indoor air pollutants. Larger models tend to be most effective at filtering pollutants like dust, but such units are more expensive than smaller units. If your home is especially dusty, then a large filtering system may prove a worthy investment. •Open windows and doors when possible. Introducing outdoor air into a home is a great way to improve indoor air quality. Of course, opening windows and doors might not be feasible in the middle of winter. But take advantage of any such opportunities when they present themselves. For example, after cooking a big meal, open the kitchen exhaust fan to allow fresh air into the home. Such fans are not large enough to cause a significant temperature drop in the home, but they can directly remove contaminants from inside the home, like those that might be emitted from gas stoves. •Insist guests and residents remove their shoes. Chemicals can find their way into a home in a variety of ways, and you and your fellow residents or guests may be tracking them into your home on The Flue Doctors Certified Chimney Sweeps Certified Dryer Exhaust Technicians PR Olson 665-5181 your shoes. Keep a doormat inside all entryways, and insist guests and residents remove their shoes before entering your home. This reduces the amount of potential pollutants brought into your home and also makes cleaning the home that much easier. •Break out the mop. Vacuum cleaners can be effective at picking up pollutants inside a home, but they also can leave things behind. When a vacuum cleaner seems to be leaving some dust behind, take out the mop and, with just a little water, address the areas where dust is still lingering. Water should be enough to do the trick, and, unlike some cleaning products, water won’t be introducing any additional harmful pollutants into the home. •Smoke outside. Smoking inside a home is inviting trouble, especially during those times of year when the windows cannot be opened. Secondhand smoke is a significant source of indoor air pollution, as cigarette smoke is known to contain more than 4,000 chemicals. Smoking indoors, whether an area is well- or poorlyventilated, can be dangerous to smokers. Exposure to secondhand smoke puts adults and children alike at risk of several diseases, including asthma and cancer. If you or your fellow residents or visitors must smoke, do so outdoors. The color drivers choose for their car may say something about driver personalities and preferences. It also may play a role in the propensity to get into an accident. Various studies have been conducted to determine if a certain car color puts a driver at a greater risk for a crash. Though it’s difficult to pinpoint which color vehicles are most likely to be in accidents, common sense suggests that certain colors that are more conspicuous on the road are more easily seen, and this may make them less prone to accidents. Daimler Benz once conducted a study on the conspicuousness of cars. White cars were the most inconspicuous, followed by black, dark red and blue. Dark-colored vehicles tend to be the most difficult to see on the road and therefore might be most prone to accidents. Another study from researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand in 2003 showed that drivers of brown cars had a higher risk of injuries in car accidents. Black and green cars also were involved in a high number of car accidents resulting in injuries. In addition, findings also indicated that people who drove silver cars had a 50 percent less chance of EHRESMANN ENGINEERING For All Your Steel Needs! 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Leave an adequate cushion between your car and the one in front of you to allow for braking or maneuvering around an obstacle. •Use daytime running lights when available to make your car even more visible in all weather conditions. •Leave for trips early enough so that you’re not rushing and being aggressive on the roadway. • Drive with weather conditions in mind, slowing down when necessary. •Avoid distractions in the car. Taking your eyes off the road for mere seconds can result in lost opportunities for accident avoidance. •Always wear seatbelts, even for short trips. •Make sure you keep your car well maintained so that breakdowns do not contribute to accidents on busy highways. While car color may play a role in accident rates, there is no definitive answer as to why certain cars are more prone to accidents than others. n Metro Creative Connection n Metro Creative Connection We Want to be Your Steel Supplier 800-545-2847 being involved in accidents resulting in injury. The reason why certain color vehicles are involved in more accidents was missing from the studies. Visibility may play a role, which would make lighter color vehicles less prone to accidents. Another point to consider is that certain colors may be favored by individuals who have specific driving tendencies. For example, silver and gray cars are often seen as conservative and may be driven by an older demographic that is more cautious on the road. Black cars are often viewed as sleek and may be favored by those who like to push the envelope regarding speed. While vehicle color may play a role in accidents, other factors also come into play, such as usage of lights and other features. The National Safety Council has stated the safest car color to be “one that is highly visible in the widest range of lighting, weather, and vision conditions.” They also indicated that white is most visible in uniform lighting but can be an unsafe color in bright sunlight, snow and fog. 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