Na UE, a cada dia que passa morrem uma média de 150 pessoas devido a acidentes rodoviários. Por todo o mundo já se contam aos milhões de mortos anuais devido a este flagelo. A Organização Mundial de Saúde assevera que, a avaliar pela actual conjuntura, daqui a 20 anos a sinistralidade nas estradas vai ser a 3ª causa de morte, ultrapassando até os conflitos bélicos e a SIDA.

Car fumes kill more than crashes
Car fumes worsen symptoms for asthma sufferers
The emissions from car exhausts are responsible for more deaths than roadaccidents, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) research. A study looking at France, Austria and Switzerland found that the number ofpeople dying from respiratory or cardiovascular problems which could beattributed to car fumes far outweighed the death toll from crashes.The WHO will now ask 70 environment and health ministers gathering for aconference in London to adopt a new charter on transport policies to reduce the effects of pollution.Dr Carlos Dora from the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health said:"The growing evidence that air pollution is causing a major health burden addsto effects of road traffic through noise, accidents and barriers to cycling andwalking."We are paying a huge price for this excessive road transport with our money andour health."
The research found that one third of all harmful particulate air pollution wascaused by road transport, and that long term exposure to pollution caused anestimated 21,000 premature deaths a year across the three countries.This is far higher than the 9,947 who died that year as a result of roadaccidents.Bill runs into billionsIn addition, the researchers calculated that the car fumes caused 300,000 extracases of bronchitis in children, and 15,000 extra hospital admissions for heartdisease made worse by the pollution.They calculated that the cost of dealing with all this was £27 billion Eurosper year - about £16bn.But a British GP, a former chairman of the GPs in Asthma group, said that whilecar pollution worsened existing asthma, there was little evidence that itactually caused the condition.
Dr Dermot Ryan, a Loughborough GP, said that the focus should fall instead on cigarette smoking as the primary villain."I'm not too sure car pollution is the number one enemy. 400 people a day are dying in this country due to cigarette smoking," he said.He recalled a recent study that compared the incidence of asthma between Munich,a fairly non-polluted city, and Leipzig, a city with a large degree ofparticulate-producing heavy industry.Asthma was found more widespread in Munich, he said."It's difficult to prove this cause and effect, whereas we can prove passivesmoking is very, very damaging to children, and actually causes asthma."Pets, cookers and carpets to blameStudies have linked a number of other factors with childhood asthma, among themnot breastfeeding, smoking while pregnant, carpets, gas cookers, and pets.Roger Higman, of Friends of the Earth, said that it was clear to hisorganisation that fumes were at least as big a killer as road trafficaccidents.He said: "What this research shows is that air pollution is a serious problem -and should be treated as such."A lot of money goes into making cars more safe, but not as much is spenttackling air pollution."He called for more investment in public transport.EU pollution deaths cost billionsThe European Union could save up to 161 billion euros a year by reducing deathscaused by air pollution, the World Health Organization has said.Air pollution reduces the life of the average European by 8.6 months.The toxic particles in pollution increase deaths from cardiovascular andrespiratory diseases, and the price of treating these ailments is costly.However, EU plans to cut pollution by 2010 should on average save 2.3 months oflife for each European, WHO says.This is the equivalent of preventing 80,000 premature deaths and saving over onemillion years of life across the European Union."Measures to reduce the effects of air pollution on health and extend lifeexpectancy already exist and work," said Dr Marc Danzon, WHO Regional Directorfor Europe."The data presented today emphasise that health damage due to particulate matter(PM) exposure, its costs for European society, and the ability of the currentEuropean legislation to reduce this impact, are critical arguments forcontinuing efforts to reduce air pollution."Diesel carsTransport and the use of fossil fuels in homes are the major contributors to airpollution. Diesel is a particular culprit, providing a hefty chunk of allpolluting particles.Although each country is responsible for much of its own pollution, winds andweather systems mean they also get an unhealthy dose from other countries."The transboundary nature of PM pollution requires that all countries takemeasures that will benefit the European population," said Roberto Bertollini,Director of the Special Programme on Health and Environment, WHO.WHO says plans to manage air quality at the local, regional and national levelsneed to be integrated. Cutting traffic at the local level may help reduce theexposure of people living in pollution hotspots, but will not help the societyas a whole.It suggests that people across Europe rely less heavily on motorised transportand instead take trains, cycle or walk. People's attitudes need to change, WHOsays, and we all need to nurture a commitment to clean air.
WHO and the European Commission are working together in a new long-term strategyknown as Clean Air for Europe (CAFE).EU pollution deaths cost billionsCars are a major contributor to air pollutionThe European Union could save up to 161 billion euros a year by reducing deathscaused by air pollution, the World Health Organization has said.Air pollution reduces the life of the average European by 8.6 months.The toxic particles in pollution increase deaths from cardiovascular andrespiratory diseases, and the price of treating these ailments is costly.However, EU plans to cut pollution by 2010 should on average save 2.3 months oflife for each European, WHO says.This is the equivalent of preventing 80,000 premature deaths and saving over onemillion years of life across the European Union."Measures to reduce the effects of air pollution on health and extend lifeexpectancy already exist and work," said Dr Marc Danzon, WHO Regional Directorfor Europe."The data presented today emphasise that health damage due to particulate matter(PM) exposure, its costs for European society, and the ability of the currentEuropean legislation to reduce this impact, are critical arguments forcontinuing efforts to reduce air pollution."Diesel carsTransport and the use of fossil fuels in homes are the major contributors to airpollution. Diesel is a particular culprit, providing a hefty chunk of allpolluting particles.Although each country is responsible for much of its own pollution, winds andweather systems mean they also get an unhealthy dose from other countries."The transboundary nature of PM pollution requires that all countries takemeasures that will benefit the European population," said Roberto Bertollini,Director of the Special Programme on Health and Environment, WHO.WHO says plans to manage air quality at the local, regional and national levelsneed to be integrated. Cutting traffic at the local level may help reduce theexposure of people living in pollution hotspots, but will not help the societyas a whole.It suggests that people across Europe rely less heavily on motorised transportand instead take trains, cycle or walk. People's attitudes need to change, WHOsays, and we all need to nurture a commitment to clean air.WHO and the European Commission are working together in a new long-term strategyknown as Clean Air for Europe (CAFE).Air Pollution Deaths Reveal Failure of Air Quality ProgramsTuesday, 12 September 2006Revelations that Sydney's air pollution contributes to up to 1400 deaths ayear come as no surprise following earlier revelations that Sydney's chronicair pollution has not improved in the last 8 years and that vehicle emissionsare still a major problem.Total Environment Centre (TEC) Urban Campaigner Mr Leigh Martin said "There hasbeen a clear failure on air quality and public transport. Sydney residents arecontinuing to suffer from smog and fine particle pollution as vehicle emissionsremain a major and growing source of air pollution".A report quietly released by the NSW Government on progress of its Action forAir program reveals that Sydney continues to suffer from serious air pollutioneight years after the program's inception and that public transport isfailing to keep pace with demand.The Department of Environment and Conservation's Action for Air 2006 updaterecently appeared on the department's website with little fanfare and revealsthat there has been no improvement in ozone levels (the major indicator ofphotochemical smog) or fine particles since 1998 with national and World HealthOrganisation standards regularly exceeded. Vehicle use continues to grow withVehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) outstripping population growth."Vehicle use continues to grow due to the failure of public transport to keeppace with demand. Sydney residents are being forced into ever increasing cardependency and are paying the price with chronic air pollution as more cars onthe road negate progress on cleaner engines and fuels", Mr Martin said.TEC has called on the Government to address the problem by bringing forwardmajor transport infrastructure such as the proposed North West, South West andHarbour rail links and to commit to extension of the current light railnetwork."It is simply not good enough to blame hot weather or bush fires forSydney's appalling air pollution. The evidence is clear that Sydney will faceever worsening traffic chaos and air pollution unless urgent steps are taken toimprove public transport. Rising petrol costs present a major opportunity toincrease public transport patronage, however, this opportunity will be lostunless services are radically improved", Mr Martin said.Air Pollution Deaths Reveal Failure of Air Quality ProgramsTuesday, 12 September 2006Revelations that Sydney's air pollution contributes to up to 1400 deaths ayear come as no surprise following earlier revelations that Sydney's chronicair pollution has not improved in the last 8 years and that vehicle emissionsare still a major problem.Total Environment Centre (TEC) Urban Campaigner Mr Leigh Martin said "There hasbeen a clear failure on air quality and public transport. Sydney residents arecontinuing to suffer from smog and fine particle pollution as vehicle emissionsremain a major and growing source of air pollution".A report quietly released by the NSW Government on progress of its Action forAir program reveals that Sydney continues to suffer from serious air pollutioneight years after the program's inception and that public transport isfailing to keep pace with demand.The Department of Environment and Conservation's Action for Air 2006 updaterecently appeared on the department's website with little fanfare and revealsthat there has been no improvement in ozone levels (the major indicator ofphotochemical smog) or fine particles since 1998 with national and World HealthOrganisation standards regularly exceeded. Vehicle use continues to grow withVehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) outstripping population growth."Vehicle use continues to grow due to the failure of public transport to keeppace with demand. Sydney residents are being forced into ever increasing cardependency and are paying the price with chronic air pollution as more cars onthe road negate progress on cleaner engines and fuels", Mr Martin said.TEC has called on the Government to address the problem by bringing forwardmajor transport infrastructure such as the proposed North West, South West andHarbour rail links and to commit to extension of the current light railnetwork."It is simply not good enough to blame hot weather or bush fires forSydney's appalling air pollution. The evidence is clear that Sydney will faceever worsening traffic chaos and air pollution unless urgent steps are taken toimprove public transport. Rising petrol costs present a major opportunity toincrease public transport patronage, however, this opportunity will be lostunless services are radically improved", Mr Martin said.