Tiny particles from the wear of vehicle brakes, tyres and roads already make up about half of the air pollution particles from traffic. This will be getting worse because our car fleet is getting heavier and there are no clear policies to control this pollution source.
The issue known as “car bloat” and “autobesity” refers to vehicles bought today being bigger than the ones they replace. This affects parking and raises concerns about safety for other road users. A US study showed that children were eight times more likely to die when struck by an SUV compared with a normal passenger car. Bigger vehicles also have a greater impact on the climate and air pollution.
