Ten years to the day after the original Dieselgate scandal was exposed, Asthma + Lung UK has joined calls for urgent action to investigate around 500,000 more UK cars currently under suspicion for emissions cheating. 1.9 million consumer claims are currently being pursed in the High Court against 18 major auto-manufacturers alleged to have used prohibited 'defeat devices' to cheat on emissions tests.
The excess pollution emitted as a result of the Dieselgate scandal has killed about 16,000 people in the UK and caused 30,000 cases of asthma in children since 2015.1 Asthma + Lung UK and partner organisations are urging the government to expand investigations into 23 new car models allegedly using illegal emissions tech - and make manufacturers, not drivers, pay for the clean-up.
Professor Nick Hopkinson, Medical Director of Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Dieselgate isn’t just a corporate scandal – it is helping to fuel a toxic air emergency that shortens the lives of tens of thousands of people in the UK every year.2Diesel vehicles remain the biggest polluters on our roads, emitting ultra-fine particles that penetrate deep into people’s lungs. These can damage lung development, cause inflammation and trigger asthma and attacks of other respiratory conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). But it’s not just lung disease. The tiny toxic particles enter the bloodstream and reach vital organs like the heart and brain. The Government must act urgently to hold manufacturers accountable, set ambitious clean air targets, and bring UK air quality in line with World Health Organization guidelines.”
References: