Cars Are Killing Humans And Not Just In Traffic Crashes

Every year, pollution is a contributing factor in more deaths than war, terrorism, malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, drugs, or alcohol. Doctors say long-term exposure to exhaust fumes and air particulates can cause or exacerbate heart disease, respiratory health issues like asthma, dementia, miscarriage, and reduced cognitive ability, among others. Now, motorized vehicles aren’t the leading cause of air pollution, but they tend to be a significant contributor, particularly in cities. While many municipalities are trying to reduce the number of on-road fatalities, there are few who consider the non-traffic deaths that can be at least partially attributed to cars.

While some countries have started to work on getting a handle on this issue, studies show that around nine million—or one in six—premature deaths are the result of air pollution. Deaths from outdoor air pollution (as opposed to in-home air pollution from gas-burning stoves and radon) rose around 66 percent from 2000 to 2015, and that trend never really plateaued. As the rest of the world continues to develop, global air pollution continues to rise.

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