January 9, 2008

Illegal windshield fluid

Ace Hardware has been fined $850,000 for selling windshield wiper fluid that violates state air pollution rules.

Funny, I just ran into this problem a few weeks ago, when for the first time I was told at a local auto parts store that I could not buy windshield fluid in Sacramento that would not freeze when I drove to the mountains around Lake Tahoe.

Apparently, it is legal to sell that kind of fluid in the mountains but not in the warmer parts of the state.

Now, even if this is a significant contributor to air pollution, does it really make sense to ban it in regions adjacent to mountainous areas?

A lot of people in Sacramento and the Bay Area drive to Tahoe all the time in the winter. It is a pain in the neck, not to mention wasteful, to empty your fluid container when you arrive in the mountains, buy the kind of fluid that won't freeze at low temperatures and put it into your car.

If you don't do so, however, you risk having a serious accident, because if your fluid freezes and you are driving in a light drizzle or snowstorm, it is impossible to clean your windshield. If a truck passes you or you pass a truck, and it kicks up a light film of mud, you can be blinded with no way to clean the windshield.

I'd be curious to see if anyone did a risk analysis on the potential deaths from the air pollution this fluid causes versus the risk of injury, death or property damage from accidents caused by dirty windshields.

Posted by dweintraub on January 9, 2008 4:54 PM