Wall Street Journal (November 8)
“New public-health studies and laboratory experiments suggest that, at every stage of life, traffic fumes exact a measurable toll on mental capacity, intelligence and emotional stability.” This toll is difficult to document, but improvements have been seen where traffic congestion has been alleviated. Premature births in areas around New Jersey toll plazas dropped 10.8% “after the introduction of E-ZPass, which eased traffic congestion and reduced exhaust fumes.” Improving traffic would also improve lives in other ways. U.S. workers spend nearly as much time stuck in traffic (140 hours) each month as in the office in the 10 most congested traffic areas.“New public-health studies and laboratory experiments suggest that, at every stage of life, traffic fumes exact a measurable toll on mental capacity, intelligence and emotional stability.” This toll is difficult to document, but improvements have been seen where traffic congestion has been alleviated. Premature births in areas around New Jersey toll plazas dropped 10.8% “after the introduction of E-ZPass, which eased traffic congestion and reduced exhaust fumes.” Improving traffic would also improve lives in other ways. U.S. workers spend nearly as much time stuck in traffic (140 hours) each month as in the office in the 10 most congested traffic areas.
Tags: Congestion, Exhaust, Fumes, Health, Traffic
