In the wake of the ‘dieselgate’ scandal, where thousands of Volkswagen vehicles were found to cheat on emissions testing, the safety of tailpipe gases has come into sharp focus, with cities around the world focusing on improving poor air quality in densely populated areas.
In response to numerous fatalities related to pollution, older cars are to be banned from central Paris and the London Ultra Low Emission Zone (results), which comes into force in September 2020, will charge the most polluting vehicles to enter the city.
What are the results of the diesel scrappage survey?
The survey by the UK’s biggest independent road safety charity asked 1,400 motorists to rate the government’s plans to solve the issue of exhaust pollution. The results revealed that 64% of participants support the diesel scrappage scheme and the majority are in favour of the scheme applying to cars over eight years old.
Respondents didn’t see getting rid of older diesels as the only solution though, with 75% agreeing that “encouraging drivers to change their driving behaviour should play a part in the government’s approach to tackling air quality.”
IAM RoadSmart also found ‘dieselgate’ had left a bitter taste in the mouth of British motorists, with 67% saying they now mistrust or strongly mistrust car makers to “sell cars that will match consumer expectations for environmental performance.”
While nothing is confirmed yet, the diesel scrappage scheme would most likely pay out a cash sum to owners who choose to scrap their car, helping them buy a newer, cleaner model.
Only ‘target’ vehicles will qualify for the scheme, and these are expected to be older diesels, but some petrol engines could be included too. These vehicles will have been produced when emissions standards were far more relaxed, so are likely to be over five years old.
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