A new study reveals that approximately five Americans die every hour due to exposure to toxic road vehicle pollution, with over 41,800 premature deaths in the US in 2024 attributable to road pollution. The research, conducted by the non-profit International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) in partnership with the UK-based Fia Foundation, quantified emissions from producing and consuming fuel for vehicles using sensor data and calculated health impacts using established methods.
Health impacts and pediatric asthma
The study 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 globally linked to vehicle pollution. Paul Jones III, transportation planner at the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, stated: “Transportation emissions have real, everyday impacts on the health and safety of communities we live in and represent.”
Potential benefits of zero-emission vehicles
The authors suggest that accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles could significantly reduce these harmful effects. If the US achieves 100% market share for electric cars, trucks, and buses by 2040, it could avert more than 100,000 premature deaths and prevent over 42,000 children from developing asthma by 2050, compared with current adoption rates. Lingzhi Jin, a senior researcher at ICCT, noted: “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.”
Current policy direction
However, experts warn 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. This study adds to a growing body of evidence on the dangers of toxic air; the American Lung Association found last year that nearly half of Americans breathe dangerous levels of airborne emissions, a rise from the previous year.
