US vehicle exhaust pollution linked to 41,800 premature deaths in 2024, study says

Vehicle exhaust pollution caused an estimated 41,800 premature deaths in the United States in 2024, equivalent to about five deaths per hour, according to research by the International Council on Clean Transportation. The study also linked motor vehicle emissions to rising childhood asthma rates. Researchers modeled the public health impact of a full transition to zero-emission vehicles. If the shift is completed by 2040, more than 100,000 premature deaths and 42,000 childhood asthma cases could be prevented by 2050, according to the findings. The council's report outlines the health burden of transportation-related air pollution in the United States. Officials called for an accelerated transition to clean transportation technologies, the study said.