Vehicle emissions in the US cause an average of five deaths per hour, according to a report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).
The study found that in 2024, air pollution from vehicles led to over 41,800 premature deaths.
Children are particularly affected. The US has set an anti-record for new child asthma cases linked to vehicle emissions, accounting for about 10% of such cases worldwide.
The ICCT recommends a rapid transition to clean transportation. If gasoline and diesel cars, trucks, and buses are fully replaced by electric vehicles by 2040, it could prevent over 100,000 deaths and 42,000 asthma cases in children by 2050.
