Car interiors are filled with a toxic soup of chemicals that off-gas from different parts of the car, including the seats, steering wheel, dashboard, and carpets. These chemicals make up that “new car smell” that we’ve either come to love or hate and can be a major contributor to indoor air pollution.
In an exclusive piece for the Guardian, Sir David King, a former government chief scientific adviser, advocates for children to walk or cycle to school instead of traveling by car due to the higher levels of toxic air they encounter inside vehicles. King argues that children are exposed to higher levels of toxic gases inside vehicles than outside, making walking or cycling to school a healthier alternative.
The UK government is facing a third legal defeat for its failure to address the country’s illegal levels of air pollution. Air pollution, which is known to damage children’s developing lungs, may also negatively impact their ability to learn and even alter their DNA.