Car Pollution

Car Pollution

Road transport is one of the biggest sources of pollution in the UK, contributing to poor air quality, noise disturbance, congestion and climate change . Of the 34 million vehicles on our roads, 28 million are cars. Whilst travel by car is often the only practicable option, there are simple steps we can all take to reduce the number of journeys we take and their impact on the environmen

Impacts of car pollution

Air Quality

Air pollutants from transport include nitrogen oxides, particles, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. All have a damaging impact on the health of people, animals and vegetation locally. Air quality in the UK is slowly improving, but many areas still fail to meet the health based national air quality objectives and European limit values – particularly for particles and nitrogen dioxide. In town centres and alongside busy roads, vehicles are responsible for most local pollution. Vehicles tend to emit more pollution during the first few miles of journey when their engines are warming up. Although new technology and cleaner fuel formulations will continue to cut emissions of pollutants, the increasing number of vehicles on the road and miles driven is eroding these benefits.

Noise

Noise from road traffic affects 30% of people in the UK. Sources include engine noise, tyre noise, car horns, car stereos, door slamming, and squeaking brakes. Vehicles have been subject to noise standards for many years through EU legislation. The sound of engines is a problem in towns and cities, while in more rural areas tyre noise on busy roads, which increases with speed, is the main source. Low-noise road surfaces, effective noise barriers in sensitive locations, and low noise tyres can all help reduce noise levels. Meanwhile, encouraging people to close car windows when playing loud music, and discouraging the use of ‘boom box’ car stereos would significantly reduce noise impact.

Resource Use

Vehicles have a major impact on the environment through their construction, use and eventual disposal. It is estimated that of the CO2 emissions produced over a car’s lifespan 10% come from its manufacture and 5% from its disposal, with the remaining 85% coming from fuel use and servicing operations. In addition to these emissions of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants, the vehicle and related industries (e.g. fuels) consume large amounts of raw materials, and produce significant quantities of waste.

Local Impacts

Vehicle use affects our whole quality of local life. Traffic can be dangerous and intimidating, dividing communities and making street life unpleasant. Abandoned vehicles cause nuisance, whilst air pollution and traffic noise can make urban living uncomfortable.

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