New Law: Carbon monoxide awareness

The Department of Public Safety must include information on carbon monoxide poisoning in driver’s education training, must ask a question about carbon monoxide on the driver’s exam and is required to include information about carbon monoxide in the driver’s manual.

The law is effective May 25, 2011, except for the exam portion, which takes effect

Jan. 1, 2012.

Sponsored by Rep. Andrea Kieffer (R-Woodbury) and Sen. Chuck Wiger (DFL-Maplewood), the so-called “Tyler’s Law” is the result of a December 2010 tragedy when Tyler Lavers, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, was accidentally killed when installing stereo speakers in his car.

He backed his car into the garage at the family’s cabin to be closer to the tools and best lighting. With the garage door open, he started the car at some point to test his speakers. Despite a ventilated garage, the very cold air created a higher output of carbon monoxide from his engine, and combined with a small space, allowed the deadly poison to concentrate where he was and ultimately kill him.

It is estimated that 15-20 Minnesotans die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning.

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