Marcos Vázquez, science presenter: "There's a button in your car that could be affecting your health and safety."

Driving a car always involves health risks, but not only when it comes to maintaining road safety. The vehicles available on the Spanish market have a multitude of functions that most drivers are not fully aware of. There are certain car parts that, while they can be very helpful when driving, can have unexpected consequences if not used correctly.

A clear example of this is provided by Manuel Vázquez on his Instagram profile. The health and fitness expert has published a video in which he warns all drivers that there is a button in the car that, if pressed for too long, can be very harmful to the vehicle's occupants: the air recirculation button. This function can be very useful at times, but if used carelessly, it could harm passengers.

The dangers of air recirculation in the car

Air recirculation in cars is used to improve air quality inside the passenger compartment and also helps cool the interior. However, as Manuel Vázquez warned, "it can affect your health and safety" if that button is pressed for too long. "On the one hand, it helps block outside pollution, but on the other , it raises carbon dioxide levels," the expert warns.

Furthermore, it shows how several studies have evaluated the consequences of having this setting on in the car for an extended period of time, and the results are enlightening: "When only one person is traveling, carbon dioxide levels can exceed the maximum recommendation of a thousand parts per million in half an hour," says Manuel, and even warns that, with two people traveling in the car, "it exceeds the threshold of 2,500," figures much higher than what is advisable.

These excessive levels can "affect concentration and fatigue," the expert warns, so if the car's air recirculation is maintained for an excessive amount of time, drivers could notice the consequences and experience problems behind the wheel. Therefore, it's vitally important to know how to use this setting in the car so that it doesn't harm those inside.

Manuel Vázquez recommends using this feature in your car when you're "stuck in a traffic jam or passing through a particularly polluted area." If that's not the case, it's best to deactivate it to "prevent carbon dioxide from affecting your cognitive abilities and your health." Thus, and although many drivers don't believe it, this system can be much more harmful than it seems.