IS IT TRUE THAT MORE PEOPLE DIE OF VEHICLE EMISSIONS THAN CAR CRASHES?

That’s right. Click here for an overview of the findings. The study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) quantified the impact of air pollution and premature death in the United States, and concluded that nearly 58,000 deaths a year were attributable to road transportation alone (52,800 from particulate matter, and 5,000 from ozone).That was in 2005. That same year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 42,510 traffic fatalities. 

The Environmental Protection (EPA) implements national programs and standards for fuels and vehicles that reduce air pollution including smog, soot, and toxic pollutants, and spur investments in clean vehicle and engine technology. The EPA estimates that these air quality emissions standards will prevent 40,000 premature deaths annually by 2030 (unless they are discontinued by the current administration). The federal Clean Power Plan alone would prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths a year, according to Trump’s EPA, although the Trump administration has announced plans to scrap it.

The people most impacted by gas and diesel vehicle emissions are those living near busy roads and those who spend time sitting in traffic (the air inside your car can have 4 to 10 times higher concentrations of pollutants from traffic than the air outside the car). Vehicle emissions have also been linked to childhood cancers.

Read more about pollution from cars, trucks and buses.