[open quotes]Passing the test[close quotes] - Human behavior and California's smog check program

Journal Article · Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association; (United States)

OSTI ID:5108193

Lawson, D R ^[1]

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1. Desert Research Inst., Reno, NV (United States)

We have analyzed data obtained from more than 11,000 vehicles inspected in California's random roadside surveys to assess the real-world characteristics of the in-use motor vehicle fleet and to test the effectiveness of California's inspection and maintenance (I/M) program. The low-idle emissions data from these surveys show that 10 percent of the fleet are responsible for about 60 percent of the exhaust hydrocarbons and also that 10 percent of the fleet (not necessarily the same vehicles) are responsible for about 60 percent of the carbon monoxide emissions. We also show that high emitters appear among all model years, and not just among old vehicles, as previously assumed. Old vehicles, on average, have higher idle emissions than new vehicles, but they contribute relatively little to the total idle emissions because there are so few on the road. We compare roadside survey results at I/M and non-I/M locations in California, and observe identical tampering and overall failure rates at the two types of locations. We also show that motorists are taking steps to [open quotes]pass the test,[close quotes] and that the high-emitting vehicles' idle-emissions performance and tampering rates in the roadside surveys are unaffected by the Smog Check test. These results imply that success in California's Smog Check program in reducing emissions will require consideration of human behavior and the attendant negative incentives inherent in the program as historically conceived. 29 refs., 9 figs., 6 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 5108193
• Journal Information: Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association; (United States), Vol. 43:12; ISSN 1047-3289
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
AUTOMOBILES
INSPECTION
MAINTENANCE
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
CARBON MONOXIDE
EXHAUST GASES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HYDROCARBONS
OZONE
SMOG
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
DATA
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
INFORMATION
MONITORING
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
VEHICLES
WASTES
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
400201 - Chemical & Physicochemical Properties