A new instrument for measuring vehicle emissions reveals directly emissions coming from vehicles even if they are driving close to each other. The instrument, which is being developed by the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), has been undergoing trials in several European capitals.

An instrument that measures vehicle emissions by the roadside gives information about the emissions coming from vehicles that go past it at intervals of one second. The instrument records the registration numbers of the big polluters, and the information about the poor condition of the engine can then be transmitted to the vehicle's owner.

Finding many cars that are polluting the environment and repairing engines that are in the worst condition will improve the quality of air greatly and reduce detrimental effects to the environment. On the other hand, vehicles that are repeatedly found to have low emissions in random measurements could be rewarded with lower operating charges.

Accurate and cheap

Tests have been carried out with two prototypes in Great Britain, Holland, Italy and Greece. At best, the emissions from almost 20,000 vehicles have been measured along the road in one day. Measurements in London, for example, showed that ten per cent of vehicles caused 90 per cent of the toxic carbon monoxide emissions.

The instrument is suited to measuring exhaust emissions from petrol and diesel engines. It is more accurate and cheaper than the devices that are at present on the market. The system has been developed through cooperation among VTT, several European companies and research institutes. The development work is included in the EU's Competitive and Sustainable Growth Programme.

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Photo: Golden River Traffic Ltd.