Volkswagen emissions scandal: Britons dying due to toxic fumes travelling across North Sea from Germany
telegraph.co.uk/science/2017 … ple-study/
I’m wondering what effect does it all have on us, lorry drivers?
How air tight are these cabs we spend so much time in, every day?
We spend so much time on the road, inhaling all this dirty air.
Does anyone of you know any truck driver that lived long after retiring?
I suspect there are not many that even manage to retire at 65 yo.
Good old diesels in cars. Most of us have known for years that diesels are worse than petrol, but does the Governments give a ■■■■■ ? The place for diesels is in HGV’s not cars.
Don’t say that to people who live up here,some of whom travel 100kms to work.About 60-70 percent of the cars and pick-ups here are diesel.Many of the people pull trailers a lot with snowmobiles,quads and lots of building materials.
What about us poor old mechanics who generally get the fumes when the engine has gone wrong never mind when it is "ok "
Oh dear, what a lot of hand wringers are on here today.
Diesel vehicles, even at euro 3, would be the cleanest they have ever been, and the VW so called scandal is really pretty minor stuff. Of course, it gives the English an opportunity to roger the Bosch once again, and m’learned friends all over the planet a chance to sue, grabbit and run! Where would we be without the compensation industry I ask? Millions on the dole , GDP on the slide, global catastrophe looming!! He he, it’s not only the TORYGRAPH that can come up with lurid headlines.
I can only imagine that you are all to young to have witnessed a yard full of Gardner engined ERFs getting kindled up on a cold morning. They, (and early VOLVOs weren’t much better) produced more pollution in ten minutes than the entire German army’s assault on Moscow.
So chaps, the message from Johnny is this. Man up, take big breaths, and, like a really bad ■■■■, it’ll go away quicker.
That Telegraph report is a load of ole ■■■■■■■■ because the prevailing wind in the UK is from the South West which would blow the offending emissions away from us not towards us. I bought one of them alleged people killing cars but have only done 52 k miles in the seven years it’s been on the road so only feel slightly guilty but my main gripe is that £10.000.000 (ten million) has been set aside by VW for the American market compensation claims but ■■■■ all for the UK and European customers … I want my cut !!!
the average drivers poor diet, lack of exercise and general unhealthy day to day living will do more damage than these fumes ever would.
Old John:
I can only imagine that you are all to young to have witnessed a yard full of Gardner engined ERFs getting kindled up on a cold morning. They, (and early VOLVOs weren’t much better) produced more pollution in ten minutes than the entire German army’s assault on Moscow.
So chaps, the message from Johnny is this. Man up, take big breaths, and, like a really bad ■■■■, it’ll go away quicker.
I remember mornings so bad that you thought it was foggy until you got away from the truck stop and realised it was a nice day. We also sometimes closed the workshop doors on cold days to keep some heat in, along with the diesel fumes. But the OP is right to be concerned this stuff is a lot more toxic than we once thought it was. If I could go back I would not have breathed as much of it in as I have, I would have also not worked with asbestos or smoked 40 a day. I healthy at the moment but it has not been a wise way to live.
internetfan:
Volkswagen emissions scandal: Britons dying due to toxic fumes travelling across North Sea from GermanyI’m wondering what effect does it all have on us, lorry drivers?
How air tight are these cabs we spend so much time in, every day?
We spend so much time on the road, inhaling all this dirty air.
Does anyone of you know any truck driver that lived long after retiring?
I suspect there are not many that even manage to retire at 65 yo.
Interesting isn’t it that when London fails EU pollution targets that we usually have a south easterly wind!
Truck cabs are not air tight, they bring air in from the outside, unless you have the heater on ‘recirc’ but that just helps if you are about to drive through a tunnel.
If you are working all day in big cities then I would guess you are breathing far too much of this crap in. If your out driving in the country or even on busy motorways then I would guess that pollution from other vehicles will be so diluted with clean air that there won’t be much of a concern. (if any)
maga:
the average drivers poor diet, lack of exercise and general unhealthy day to day living will do more damage than these fumes ever would.
You’re probably right, but adding air pollution to the problem still makes things worse.
The ones I pity are the cyclists in busy cities like London, these daft buggers are breathing at 20 times the rate of everyone else and breathing these pollutants deep into their lungs - I think they are mad cycling in cities to begin with, add the pollution on top and they must be completely barking. I’m sure more cyclists will die due to the pollution than ever will with accidents.
maga:
the average drivers poor diet, lack of exercise and general unhealthy day to day living will do more damage than these fumes ever would.
^
This
Clogged arteries and bowels full of undigested red meat due to the good old full english fry up will do far more harm than exhaust fumes…
AndrewG:
Clogged arteries and bowels full of undigested red meat due to the good old full english fry up will do far more harm than exhaust fumes…
I grabbed a kebab on the way back from the pub the other night and can categorically state that there is no undigested red meat or in fact anything at all left in my bowels! 
Due to the so called western diet, apparently there’s a high percentage of people with Divicular disease of the bowel. Something I found that I had after a recent visit to the hospital.
As for emissions, I wouldn’t be surprised if major British cities follow the French and German model of controlling which vehicles can enter into the city, by issuing windscreen stickers showing which category your vehicle falls into.
My EA189 VW (one of those effected) has a green German Ulmweltplakett (sticker) and a French #3 emissions sticker, even my motorcycle has a French #3 sticker. So despite the so called scandal it’s still classed as “green”
I wasn’t so much trying trying to highlight VW emissions scandal, but how much diesel fumes we as lorry drivers have to deal with on daily basis, driving congested roads, sitting in traffic.
I was wondering if there is anything we could do to minimise our exposure to all these emissions.
Having closed windows would be a good start, so not opening them summer time, with running air con, which I’m not a big fan of, I’ve always preferred to have my windows open.
Maybe changing pollen filters frequently, would be a good start.
And yes, poor diet and lack of exercise is probably as bad for our health.
raymundo:
That Telegraph report is a load of ole ■■■■■■■■ because the prevailing wind in the UK is from the South West which would blow the offending emissions away from us not towards us. I bought one of them alleged people killing cars but have only done 52 k miles in the seven years it’s been on the road so only feel slightly guilty but my main gripe is that £10.000.000 (ten million) has been set aside by VW for the American market compensation claims but [zb] all for the UK and European customers … I want my cut !!!
Don’t shoot the messenger! Most press reports on anything contain “inaccuracies” 
but at certain times the wind WILL be blowing in the right/wrong direction thereby choking us all with their poison that VW and others, fraudulently covered up!
internetfan:
And yes, poor diet and lack of exercise is probably as bad for our health.
15 hour days don’t help there. There’s not enough physical activity in many driving jobs nowadays to keep you in reasonable condition. Drivers need the time and the facilities to assist them in keeping in shape but they just don’t exist in our transport network. Costs money of course but so does HS2, bailing out the banks and the Millenium Dome. 350 billion,80 billion and climbing and 1 billion respectively. There’s no money though.
the maoster:
AndrewG:
Clogged arteries and bowels full of undigested red meat due to the good old full english fry up will do far more harm than exhaust fumes…I grabbed a kebab on the way back from the pub the other night and can categorically state that there is no undigested red meat or in fact anything at all left in my bowels!
A chicken kebab with salad isnt bad at all. A doner though with all that processed condensed meat, eyeballs/ guts and brains not so especially smothered in garlic mayo… 
Old John:
Oh dear, what a lot of hand wringers are on here today.
Diesel vehicles, even at euro 3, would be the cleanest they have ever been, and the VW so called scandal is really pretty minor stuff. Of course, it gives the English an opportunity to roger the Bosch once again, and m’learned friends all over the planet a chance to sue, grabbit and run! Where would we be without the compensation industry I ask? Millions on the dole , GDP on the slide, global catastrophe looming!! He he, it’s not only the TORYGRAPH that can come up with lurid headlines.I can only imagine that you are all to young to have witnessed a yard full of Gardner engined ERFs getting kindled up on a cold morning. They, (and early VOLVOs weren’t much better) produced more pollution in ten minutes than the entire German army’s assault on Moscow.
So chaps, the message from Johnny is this. Man up, take big breaths, and, like a really bad ■■■■, it’ll go away quicker.
I totally agree. I don’t know about that particulate gubbins but as far as smoke goes, diesels have never been so clean in my lifetime. Even plant on jobs in London have to have a minimum Tier 4 engine (DPF) it’s gone that far. Diggers are going towards Adblue, which will be interesting, when you see what gets put in the fuel tank. Mind you,I still wouldn’t want to ride a pushbike round London
Nobby_Clarke:
I totally agree. I don’t know about that particulate gubbins but as far as smoke goes, diesels have never been so clean in my lifetime. Even plant on jobs in London have to have a minimum Tier 4 engine (DPF) it’s gone that far. Diggers are going towards Adblue, which will be interesting, when you see what gets put in the fuel tank. Mind you,I still wouldn’t want to ride a pushbike round London
Although the colossal increase in diesel vehicles is what could be making the difference.
1.8 million in 1994 to 12.8 million in 2016 - they are cleaner but not 7x cleaner.
Blame the EU, policies aimed at helping the environment by reducing CO2 has had a nasty side effect in poisoning us with NOx & particulates. Some really worrying studies are shown that the minute nano sized particles that are too small to be removed by DPFs are being found within the structure of our brains, some are questioning if there could be a link between the rise in dementia suffers and diesel fumes.
telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09 … uman-brai/
Bluey Circles:
Nobby_Clarke:
I totally agree. I don’t know about that particulate gubbins but as far as smoke goes, diesels have never been so clean in my lifetime. Even plant on jobs in London have to have a minimum Tier 4 engine (DPF) it’s gone that far. Diggers are going towards Adblue, which will be interesting, when you see what gets put in the fuel tank. Mind you,I still wouldn’t want to ride a pushbike round LondonAlthough the colossal increase in diesel vehicles is what could be making the difference.
1.8 million in 1994 to 12.8 million in 2016 - they are cleaner but not 7x cleaner.Blame the EU, policies aimed at helping the environment by reducing CO2 has had a nasty side effect in poisoning us with NOx & particulates. Some really worrying studies are shown that the minute nano sized particles that are too small to be removed by DPFs are being found within the structure of our brains, some are questioning if there could be a link between the rise in dementia suffers and diesel fumes.
telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09 … uman-brai/
That Telegraph report makes interesting reading and Id agree there is some worrying info there. Not disputing the thrust of the article, but a couple of points not too well made: "diesel engines which can emit up to 22 times more particulates than petrol engines", doesnt necessarily mean diesels produce 22 times the number of these worrying “Magnetite” particulates.
No evidence about how much comes from engines or brakes etc. Maybe there is no study made of this yet?
The blue graph showing pollution levels is comparing NOX levels for Euro3 buses against Euro 5 & 6 cars. It also fails to point out the obvious that a bus should have a lot more passengers than a car so the NOX levels will be less per passenger mile.
OK, it`s a newspaper not a scientific journal, and is making us ask questions, so overall is a good thing.
Old John:
I can only imagine that you are all to young to have witnessed a yard full of Gardner engined ERFs getting kindled up on a cold morning. They, (and early VOLVOs weren’t much better) produced more pollution in ten minutes than the entire German army’s assault on Moscow.
So chaps, the message from Johnny is this. Man up, take big breaths, and, like a really bad ■■■■, it’ll go away quicker.
1987, YTS scheme 1st job (before sweeping the garage floor 
) jump start around 20 Gardner engined buses each morning. Daimler Fleetlines, Leyland Nationals and 2 Dennis Dominators. So yes know all about fog. 
As for the emissions scandal had all the letters from the dealer about having my Supberb “fixed”, ignored them all. I’m not convinced the software update they wish to do will not affect the MPG in anyway. Shame really as I have a roll back doc for them to fill out, before I let them do anything. 
My customers demand roll back plans from me when I do software updates, don’t see why I shouldn’t ask my dealer to do the same. Of course we all know software updates never go wrong…aye right!
Does anyone remember the SMOG that used to fill the cities back in the good old days.The coal fired locomotives had to be kept warm if not hot all of the time.Houses all had coal fires the mills and factories belched out all manner of toxins,but hey zb ho we bleat about diesel engines in cars of all things.