Stagnant Windshield-Washer Water Could Lead to a Fatal Disease
16.06.10

Forewarning: Your car may be hazardous to your health. And we’re not talking about the usual dangers that being on the road entail. Your windshield-washer water may be making your car contagious.
A new piece from the U.K.’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) suggests that your windscreen-washer tank might be harboring some unwanted guests – namely, the bacteria that issue Legionnaires’ disease. According to the HPA’s pilot study, scientists found traces of the bacteria in one of five windscreen-washer reservoirs that were filled with drab, stagnant water. Reservoirs that carried an additive-based windshield-washer fluid didn’t show any ideograph of the fatal bacteria.
The study also showed that people who spent more time behind the wheel, like ride on the ground drivers, were 20 percent more likely of catching the disease. If you want to avoid this conundrum like the plague (pun intended), fill your windshield-washer reservoir with a reputable, brand-name windshield washer plastic.
Source: AutoGuide.com