NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Spring break is coming up, and if you’re planning a trip, there’s a serious safety consideration you may not even be thinking about.
We're talking about carbon monoxide poisoning. It can happen even in hotels and vacation rentals. But A relatively inexpensive device could save your life.
“My parents were on a vacation in a hotel when they were found dead in their hotel room,” said Kris Hauschildt with The Jenkins Foundation.
Kris Hauschildt’s parents died from a carbon monoxide leak at a hotel. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause illness or even death within hours of exposure.
“My parents could have survived that incident had there been installed CO detection in that building,” said Hauschildt.
The tragedy didn’t end there. Seven weeks later, an 11-year-old boy lost his life, and his mother sustained permanent injuries from the same carbon monoxide leak.
Not all hotels and vacation rentals are required by law to install carbon monoxide detectors, says Gabe Knight, a senior policy analyst for Consumer Reports.
“CO Detector requirements vary greatly by location," said Consumer Reports' Gabe Knight. "And CO leaks can happen anywhere that there’s a fuel-burning appliance. And that leaves countless travelers at risk.”
Consumer Reports recently tested CO detectors you can take with you wherever you go; they plug into an electrical outlet or run on batteries.
Testers placed each device in a closed chamber, exposed it to varying levels of carbon monoxide, and recorded the time it took to trigger the alarm. Testers also checked how accurately each device reported the CO levels.
This Lunarlipes quickly and reliably sounds an alarm when exposed to both low and high levels of CO. It comes with a built-in rechargeable battery.
This Kidde plug-in -- while a bit bulkier -- excels at detecting both low and high levels of CO and accurately displays them, even at low levels.
“Travel with your own carbon monoxide alarm. That is life-saving to be able to take that action on behalf of yourself and your family,” said Hauschildt.
It’s not just hotels and vacation rentals; carbon monoxide poisoning can happen in RVs and on boats, and anywhere there’s a fuel-burning appliance. And that's why a high-performing detector is crucial.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at jennifer.kraus@newschannel5.com.
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