Use screenwash or risk Legionnaires

vikingaero

For right wing Daily Mail drivers:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1286423/Windscreen-water-cause-cases-potentially-fatal-Legionnaires-disease.html

For lesbian left wing drivers:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/10306411.stm

From the horses mouth (the Health Protection Agency):

http://www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2010PressReleases/100614legionellascreenwash/

Pretty shocking findings - the amount of people that never use screenwash.

bryanb

Great news for Halfords etc

[Deleted User]

I saw it this morning, I always use screenwash!

That BBC guy did that demo a few times live throughout the day, I bet his washer bottle is nice and full now!

vikingaero

You can get screenwash for £1 from Tesco. So will it soon be illegal to drive without screenwash and infecting the public?!

DaveF327

vikingaero wrote: »

So will it soon be illegal to drive without screenwash and infecting the public?!

Food for thought, but it mainly affects the occupants of the car, rather than the surrounding public.

vikingaero

DaveF327 wrote: »

Food for thought, but it mainly affects the occupants of the car, rather than the surrounding public.

True. As food for thought, 95% of cars that I hire only ever have water in the screenwash, unless the car is brand spanking new with delivery miles on it.

bartman

I'm just wondering whether it would mainly affect the occupants of cars following behind rather than people in your own car - I would have thought that the water droplets would spray off the windscreen and roof, and be sucked into the following car's ventilation intake.

Now, if that's the case, that makes my usual tactic against tailgaters much more interesting............

cyclonebri1

Well, not that I do drive without the stuff but I have doubts that the condition exist in the washer system for this bacteria to exist in a large enough concentration to beome a hazard?, and what is it feeding on?

Surely the water would not be warm enough for a long enough period, ie cool nights, to enable the bacteria to grow.

Just seems strange that this risk would not have been identidies previuosly as the risk from legionella is not exactly new. Another one to blame on global warming ;)

Coveredinbees!!!!

I normally squirt washing up liquid in this time of year, does that make any difference, I haven't died yet?

davetrousers

vikingaero wrote: »

True. As food for thought, 95% of cars that I hire only ever have water in the screenwash, unless the car is brand spanking new with delivery miles on it.

I hired a car a few years ago and the water absolutely stank. I was driving around with it constantly squirting to use it up so i could put some fresh water and screenwash in!

rev_henry

Coveredinbees!!!! wrote: »

I normally squirt washing up liquid in this time of year, does that make any difference, I haven't died yet?

NOO don't do that! Its not good for the paintwork! Use proper screenwash. Asda were doing 2.5l for £1 last time I got some.