A little out of left field for this forum but just wondering anyway. 90% of my driving is done with the roof down as the car is used for fun. I often notice that as the day goes on I yawn a lot more than usual. I haven't noticed if its when in traffic or just generally. When I go for a drive it is usually a day trip or at least a few hours and the yawning doesn't start straight away. Maybe Im just getting tired but thought id ask if anyone else has noticed an increased level of yawning when on a longer trip, roof down. It won't stop me driving roof down, just curious if Im slowly poisoning myself whilst enjoying driving. Doesn't seem to make any difference if its summer or winter(see UK summer). Discuss.
Carbon Dioxide/Monoxide?
- Thread starter YDB
- Start date
Attleborough, Norfolk
Maybe you get more CO if sat in traffic with the roof down but otherwise no - and CO2 isn't a big problem anyway
More likely to just be fresh air and sunshine making you tired
More likely to just be fresh air and sunshine making you tired
A
Anonymous
Guest
Well if you want a detailed view 
So CO2 is not preferentially absorbed by humans..so providing the ratio of CO2 to O2 is acceptable, not more than 1% CO2 then the CO2 content from your exhaust, diluted by the ambient air, even stationary is not going to cause any physiological issues.
On the other hand CO is preferentially absorbed, and is extremely dangerous even in low concentrations as the human body 'sucks' the CO in preference to O2..I think several 100 times more..
However the CO output of your car is very small (if its catted) and given you are moving most of the time the air flow will wash the CO downstream away from you.
Most likely is that the physiological effects of noise/vibration/temperature variations/sunlight changes will for sure tire you out faster than if you were in a quieter, ambient temperture controlled and optimised for alertness environment..
There you have it!
So CO2 is not preferentially absorbed by humans..so providing the ratio of CO2 to O2 is acceptable, not more than 1% CO2 then the CO2 content from your exhaust, diluted by the ambient air, even stationary is not going to cause any physiological issues.
On the other hand CO is preferentially absorbed, and is extremely dangerous even in low concentrations as the human body 'sucks' the CO in preference to O2..I think several 100 times more..
However the CO output of your car is very small (if its catted) and given you are moving most of the time the air flow will wash the CO downstream away from you.
Most likely is that the physiological effects of noise/vibration/temperature variations/sunlight changes will for sure tire you out faster than if you were in a quieter, ambient temperture controlled and optimised for alertness environment..
There you have it!
More likely in busy town traffic oil burning fumes. I walked a local busy road, often seen folks out running along there.
I was nearly overcome by fumes. Mainly stink of burning oil. These modern cars with thin oil seem to burn a lot.
Felt the same on motorbike. One day couldn't wait to get home, so tired.
I was nearly overcome by fumes. Mainly stink of burning oil. These modern cars with thin oil seem to burn a lot.
Felt the same on motorbike. One day couldn't wait to get home, so tired.
flybobbie said:
I think sometimes on a bike you get tired more as you're having to concentrate way more than a car driver, so that definitely takes more out of you. I've done 6 hour rides and felt my riding was getting more sloppy towards the end, and I was absolutely knackered once I'd finished. Takes a lot of training to stay bike fit for that length of time.
Okay, thanks everyone. I did wonder if the aerodynamics might force more of the gas back into the open cabin. So I'm getting old, don't drive hard enough, its too much fresh air and a combination of physiological effects of lots of other stuff. Thankyou one and all.
Yep I get this, I think its just the sun in your eyes etc etc, a bit like getting tired lying on a deckchair in the sun.
Its well known that the air inside a car (with a roof) is generally worse than outside, it gets concentrated due to poor ventilation apparently.
As for Co2, this is expelled as a waste gas and not generally absorbed. An excess of Co2 has physiological effects, for example it will increase your respiration as excess Co2 is the primary driver for your respiration response. This is why freedivers take lots of deep breaths to flush Co2 from the blood and suppress respiration. Downside to that is if you flush to much Co2 you will stop breathing........
Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, symptoms, are gut pain, drowsiness, extreme headache, dizziness, nausea and sickness as it replaces the oxygen your red blood cells would normally carry around. Interesting anyone suffocated by carbon monoxide has bright red blood as though it is fully oxygenated..!!
I had a friend years ago with an old cottage, his boiler developed a problem overnight, the carbon monoxide killed his wife but he survived. When he asked the doctors why he had survived they said it was probably because he was a very heavy smoker and had developed a degree of tolerance.........
Its well known that the air inside a car (with a roof) is generally worse than outside, it gets concentrated due to poor ventilation apparently.
As for Co2, this is expelled as a waste gas and not generally absorbed. An excess of Co2 has physiological effects, for example it will increase your respiration as excess Co2 is the primary driver for your respiration response. This is why freedivers take lots of deep breaths to flush Co2 from the blood and suppress respiration. Downside to that is if you flush to much Co2 you will stop breathing........
Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, symptoms, are gut pain, drowsiness, extreme headache, dizziness, nausea and sickness as it replaces the oxygen your red blood cells would normally carry around. Interesting anyone suffocated by carbon monoxide has bright red blood as though it is fully oxygenated..!!
I had a friend years ago with an old cottage, his boiler developed a problem overnight, the carbon monoxide killed his wife but he survived. When he asked the doctors why he had survived they said it was probably because he was a very heavy smoker and had developed a degree of tolerance.........