pollution while driving

[Erdrick]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/...oseofpollution

This is an interesting read. Not sure how many gassavers.org members would find this useful, but I decided to post it anyway. Pollution is something that is sometimes overlooked when thinking about gas mileage.

I do wish that they had provided more details about how the tests were run. It would have been nice to know what kind of cars were being driven, whether they had cabin air filters, and other things that would affect the results.

[SVOboy]

Haha, that's pretty funny though. Mmm, pollution.

[trebuchet03]

I ride to class at least 5 days a week... and on my bike almost every day.... In the same traffic as everyone else.... Why do I, as a cyclist, breath in less pollution than someone a pane of glass away? I mean, it sure doesn't smell like it - but then again, I don't have a bunch of fancy instrumentation in my butt - recording data and such.

Driving with the windows closed and using recirculating air settings can modestly reduce the particle pollution exposures but does not reduce most gaseous pollutants, the researchers concluded.

Sounds similar to the study on household pollutants -- more inside your house than out....

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Originally Posted by Erdrick

I do wish that they had provided more details about how the tests were run. It would have been nice to know what kind of cars were being driven, whether they had cabin air filters, and other things that would affect the results.

They said it was in LA, so I'm guessing sitting in traffic! So, yeah, the amount of pollution is going to be fairly high with wall to wall cars/trucks imo. On the open road, probably not as much...

[cfg83]

Erdrick -

You know you're a GasSaver when you drive the freeway with foamy little noseplugs to reduce the pollution into your lungs to keep the window open to keep the AC off.

Car(rrgghhhhhhhhh!!!)loSW2

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Originally Posted by theclencher

when i'm cycling i'm breathing in a hella lot more air than when sitting in a car so i don't see how their claim can be.

look at how close people drive to each other! they're practically sniffing each other's butts, especially in traffic. On a bike, in the same situation where drivers are stuck, a cyclist is breezin' through, and in a situation where the cars can move, they just speed right past. In either case, most drivers get a face full of exhaust ime.

[Erdrick]

cfg83: Funny that you mention nose plugs. A lot of people in Japan ride their motorcycles with masks so they don't have to breathe the diesel exhaust that all the trucks spew. Maybe people should start using them in their cars?

[cfg83]

Erdrick -

Originally Posted by Erdrick

cfg83: Funny that you mention nose plugs. A lot of people in Japan ride their motorcycles with masks so they don't have to breathe the diesel exhaust that all the trucks spew. Maybe people should start using them in their cars?

Yeah, that's where I got the idea. I have seen that in pictures of Asian cities going back maybe 20-30 years.

I tried a mask last summer, but it was too stuffy/humid (stupid human H20 exhaust !). The nose plugs are not stuffy and less blatant. But like the article said, maybe they don't help much. I use the 710 freeway, which is basically "Diesel Truck Alley" of LA. It's the main freeway between Long Beach harbor and the trains. The freeway passes over a trainyard that's maybe 10 tracks wide.

CarloSW2

[SVOboy]

People over at bikeforums are following it too: http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=358295

[Erdrick]

cfg83: I feel for you. There is one leg of my drive that is filled with diesel trucks, but it is only for about 1/3 of my commute distance. A lot of them are getting cleaner, but some of them still spew the black crap. I just keep my windows up, and my air system closed off (not turned on).

My roll up windows come in handy when one of the spewers comes along though... I can roll those babies up pretty fast in a pinch. Try THAT with your automatic power windows!!