Research Indicates Dieselgate Is Deadly

2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI engine (Credit: Volkswagen)

While some have been downright outraged by the whole Dieselgate scandal, others seem to think it wasn’t that big of a deal. New research from MIT and Harvard is showing there’s a reason to be concerned, because those Volkswagen defeat devices have actually contributed to numerous early deaths.

It’s not really the same as the Toyota unintended acceleration fallout, or even the Takata airbag recalls that seem to be dragging on forever. Instead of people suffering sudden, violent deaths, they’re clocking out of life earlier than if VW hadn’t decided to skirt the law.

The study was published in Environmental Research Letters and actually has been around since late October of last year. Anyone can go to the journal’s website and read the report for free. Kudos to Green Car Reports for running across it and getting the word out.

All Dieselgate scandal vehicles spew out well over the legal limit of nitrogen oxides, some as much as 35 times what the government allows. You really don’t want to breathe that stuff, because it could literally kill you. The research concluded that about 60 people could die about 10 to 20 years early because of exposure to the high levels of nitrogen oxides. Recalling the cars by the end of the year would avoid about 130 additional early deaths.

Think 60 and 130 individuals doesn’t sound like much? Consider that as of the writing of this post, the total deaths from Takata airbags has reached seven. Depending on who you ask, the Toyota unintended acceleration issue killed around 90 people. That’s not even half the amount of early deaths caused by VW’s actions.

Beyond that, researchers say emissions from Volkswagen TDI engines can trigger cardiac and respiratory conditions, landing some people in the hospital. People will miss work, the economy is affected, loved ones grieve a life lost too early, etc.

So while Volkswagen makes excuses and even tries to spin the Dieselgate scandal as some witch hunt against it by the US government, the public’s health is very much at risk.