Motorists are exposed to the highest level of harmful emissions at the start of every journey, research shows.
Emissions systems that are built into cars to capture harmful pollution take around five minutes to warm up and activate, resulting in dangerous ‘pollution bursts’ in the initial moments drivers and their passengers are en route.
And a new report claims that many Britons are needlessly exposing themselves to these higher toxicity levels to travel paltry distances that could easily be covered by other means.
According to figures from driving licence check firm Licence Bureau, 56 per cent of all car trips are less than five miles in length and six per cent cover less than a mile.
These stats were supported by Transport for London research that suggested that over a third of trips taken by car in the capital cover fewer than two miles.
While drivers might assume that these short journeys are doing little to harm to their health and that of others around them, it seems there is a high price to pay for getting behind the wheel.
Latest stats from Emissions Analytics show that the time spent in a car to cover these short distances – especially in urban areas – are not sufficient for a vehicle’s pollution control system to warm up and become fully functional.
After reviewing a number of new models last year, it found that it can take more than five minutes for pollution control systems to reach operating temperatures, thus allowing harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) to be emitted into the air and the car’s cabin.
While diesel cars have a much higher NOx output, proportionally it is petrol cars that perform worse in the first minutes of driving, the study showed.
It means that for a journey of five miles covered at an average speed of 30mph, half of the 10 minute trip would have exposed the car occupants to these higher pollution levels.
2018) The first 5 mins of car journeys expose us to high levels of pollution | This is Money
Motorists are exposed to the highest level of harmful emissions at the start of every journey, research shows. Emissions systems that are built into cars to capture harmful pollution take around five minutes to warm up and activate, resulting in dangerous ‘pollution bursts’ in the initial moments drivers and their passengers are en route. And… [Read More]
