Roughly five Americans die every hour due to exposure to toxic road vehicle pollution, a new study has found. The research, conducted by the non-profit International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), warns that fossil-fueled transit remains a major driver of mortality in the United States.
Study Details and Findings
In 2024 alone, the study identified more than 41,800 premature deaths in the US attributable to road pollution. The analysis quantified emissions from producing and consuming fuel for auto vehicles, using sensor measurements collected by the ICCT in partnership with the UK-based Fia Foundation. Health impacts were calculated using methods established by scholars.
“Transportation emissions have real, everyday impacts on the health and safety of communities we live in and represent,” said Paul Jones III, transportation planner at the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, a network of grassroots groups that reviewed the research.
Pediatric Asthma Cases
The research also found that the US has more new pediatric asthma cases attributable to vehicle pollution annually than any other country. In 2024, US children accounted for one in 10 new pediatric asthma cases attributable to vehicle pollution globally.
Potential Benefits of Zero-Emission Vehicles
The authors state that accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles could significantly reduce these harmful effects. If the nation reaches 100% market share for electric cars, trucks, and buses by 2040, it could avert more than 100,000 premature deaths and prevent more than 42,000 children from developing asthma by 2050, compared with currently expected adoption rates.
“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 ICCT, in a statement.
Current Policy Concerns
Experts note that the nation is moving in the wrong direction, with the Trump administration undertaking sweeping environmental rollbacks and revoking plans to accelerate clean vehicle uptake. Polls show a growing share of Americans are concerned about exposure to environmental toxins and would support more stringent federal regulations.
The analysis is the latest in a series of expert advisories about toxic air dangers. Nearly half of Americans breathe dangerous levels of airborne emissions, the American Lung Association found last year—a rise compared with one year earlier.
