Turn off car fan at traffic lights – why

Last year, in US, on an average an individual was in a vehicle for about 50 hours in traffic.

Europeans spend much less time in their cars.

According to Inrix, a roadway and traffic analytics firm, drivers and passengers in Belgium spent 44 hours in traffic last year; in Germany, 39.

Wherever it happens, new research suggests that all that sitting and waiting is exposing us to more pollutants than we’d take in if were we cruising along.

According to a study published recently in Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, pollution levels inside cars at red lights or in traffic jams are up to 40% higher than when traffic is moving.

Air quality is already a problem outside of cars: more than 80% of people living in cities where pollution is tracked are exposed to air quality levels below WHO limits.

In 2012, WHO estimated that poor air quality was responsible for 3.7 million people dying younger than 60.

Researchers at the University of Surrey in England found that a car stuck in traffic, with windows shut and fans turned off reduced concentration doses of the smallest, most hazardous particles by up to 76%.

The researchers also found an increase in smaller particles inside the vehicle compared with larger ones when the heat was off and fans were on full blast, drawing in air from outside.

Those findings suggest that the ventilation system was more effective at filtering out larger particles while stopped at intersections.

At traffic, keep windows up and breathe easy.