Five Americans die every hour from toxic vehicle emissions, study finds

Roughly five Americans die every hour due to exposure to toxic road vehicle pollution , a new study has found. It’s the latest warning showing fossil-fueled transit is a major driver of mortality. In 2024 alone, the study found, more 41,800 premature deaths in the US were attributable to road pollution. “Transportation emissions have real, everyday impacts on the health and safety of communities we live in and represent,” said Paul Jones III, the transportation planner at the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, a network of grassroots community-based groups which reviewed the new research. The analysis from the non-profit research group International Council on Clean Transportation quantified the emissions from producing and consuming fuel for auto vehicles, using measurements collected via sensors by the group in partnership with the UK-based Fia Foundation. They then calculated the health impacts of that pollution using methods established by scholars . Polls show a growing share of Americans are concerned about exposure to environmental toxins and would support more stringent regulations from federal officials. “At a time when many Americans are concerned about the impact of environmental toxins on their families’ health, public health authorities can’t afford to overlook the impact of vehicle pollution on mortality and respiratory health outcomes,” said Lingzhi Jin, a senior researcher at the International Council on Clean Transportation, in a statement. …