Brakes, tyres and road surface create more particle matter than exhausts

19 July 2019

The emissions shown from 2000-2016 are from the latest version of the reported UK inventory representing actual vehicle activities, while emissions from 2017-2030 are projections based on the DfT’s traffic growth assumptions and, in the case of exhaust emissions, reflect the turnover in the vehicle fleet with the penetration of new vehicles meeting tighter Euro standards for PM emissions

Vehicle brakes, tyres and road surfaces are now a bigger contributor to particulate matter in the air than vehicle exhaust systems, according to the Government’s Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG).

The group’s new report looks at road transport non-exhaust emissions (NEE), which cover particles from brake wear, tyre wear, and road surface wear, as well as road dust resuspended in the air by the passage of vehicles.

Legislation has been effective in dramatically reducing particulate...