Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 28 Nov 2000

Vol. 526 No. 6

Written Answers. - Motor Exhaust Systems.

Noel O'Flynn

Question:

305 Mr. O'Flynn asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his atten tion has been drawn to the fact that some motor vehicle types on sale here have their exhaust pipe located on the left hand side of the vehicle, near the kerb, and other types have their exhaust pipe located on the right hand side of the vehicle, away from the kerb; if he will have investigations made as to whether it is true that most cars designed by nations which drive on the right tend to locate their exhaust pipes on the left, that is, in the middle of the road for such countries; if he will have investigations made into whether cars made in Japan, which drive on the left tend to locate their exhaust pipes mainly on the right; if he will have investigations made into whether pedestrians and cyclists are exposed to much higher levels of pollution when near a line of cars whose exhaust pipes are near the kerbside compared to similar vehicles whose exhaust pipes are located near the middle of the road; and if so, if he will raise with his EU counterparts the need for special environmental regulations for the location of the exhaust pipe on the right hand side of vehicles for sale in left hand countries. [27262/00]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

Mandatory EU requirements for vehicles entering service include standards for exhaust systems, noise and air pollutant emissions and, in accordance with EU law, must be observed uniformly throughout the union. The requirements do not extend to specifying the positioning of exhaust systems on vehicles nor am I aware of specific regulation of this aspect of vehicle manufacture elsewhere.

Vehicle emission standards have an important role in the implementation of EU-wide strategies for protecting and improving air quality. In this context, the recent Directive 1999/30/EC specifies mandatory air quality standards for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, lead and particulates. In dealing with the question of gauging ambient air quality for compliance with the standards, it emphasises the importance of representative information and advises that sampling points should be located on the macroscale to avoid measuring very small micro-environments such as those at street edges, car parks, etc. It explicitly advises that sampling points should be at least 25 metres from the nearest major junction and be at least four metres from the centre of the nearest traffic lane.

I am satisfied that the integrated approach on which the strategy on air quality is based and which includes vehicle emission standards, is the correct one and that specific requirements relating to the location of exhaust systems on vehicles would not measurably enhance the outcome.