Corporate manslaughter charge fears for VW over emissions scandal

For the study, researchers at MIT and Harvard estimated total emissions from the cars by combining data on VW vehicle sales from 2008 to 2015 and emission data from their smoggy vehicles. The software would sense when the auto would undergo an emission test and enable its full emissions-control system for the duration of the examination, which would be non-functional while driving. People are significantly more vulnerable to the Volkswagen emissions in cities than in rural parts of the country, researchers found. However, if the automaker fails to recall all of the affected vehicles by the end of 2016, more deaths may occur, according MIT news. In this case further $840m would be added to the total health and social care bill.

That, the study has found, will result in as many as 200 people dying up to 20 years earlier than they should due to chronic bronchitis and respiratory and cardiac conditions. “If nothing’s done, these excess emissions will cause around another 140 deaths”, Barrett explained.

Volkswagen pushed back against the study’s claims in a statement to Health magazine: “General allegations regarding links between [nitrogen oxide] emissions from these affected vehicles and specific health effects are unverified”. Once the auto left the laboratory, however, it would immediately return to its preset settings, making the vehicle slightly more fuel-efficient at the cost of spewing out 10 to 40 times more NOx into the environment. They calculate that individuals will experience about 120,000 minor restricted activity days, including work absences, and about 210,000 lower-respiratory symptom days. However, a total vehicle recall by the end of 2016 could save up to $840 million in such costs, the study says.

The group then estimated the health effects based on previous data showing the damage caused by fine particulates and ozone for populations.

Per kilometer driven, this number is about 20 percent of the number of deaths caused by road transport accidents, he said.

“So it’s about the same order of magnitude, just from these excess emissions”.

Volkswagen should encourage owners affected by the coming recall of diesel-engine vehicles to have their cars repaired in order to save lives, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher said. “If nothing’s done, these excess emissions will cause around another 140 deaths”.

While no amount of NOx is particularly wholesome for humans, the researchers of this current study chose to take a look at how much extra pollution was being created unknowingly – at least to most everyone – as a result of this cheat, and what its effect on human health would be. “However, two-thirds of the total deaths could be avoided if the recalls could be done quickly, in the course of the next year”, Barrett concluded.