September 22 — Republican campaign "Car-Free Day"

At the level of citizens' breathing, motor transport makes the largest contribution to air pollution. The number of passenger cars in private ownership of citizens of the Vitebsk region has increased from 304.5 to 337.6 thousand units since 2013, or by 10.8%, while emissions from motor transport in this period have decreased from 77.7 to 30.0 thousand tons, or by 61.4%.

The reason for the reduction in emissions is the results of the modernization of oil refineries, the production of motor fuel with ultra-low sulfur content corresponding to the EURO-5 class, the cessation of the sale of "Normal-80" gasoline at gas stations in 2013, the renewal of the vehicle fleet with an increase in the share of vehicles of environmental class 4, 5 and higher, and the intensification of the use of electric transport.

Emissions of pollutants from motor transport are regulated by the requirement to pass state technical inspection; additionally, emissions from motor transport of business entities are monitored by laboratories of the environmental department.

A republican competition for reducing emissions from motor vehicles is held annually, in which organizations operating more than 25 units of motor transport participate. The criteria for competition participants are: how many units of motor transport were purchased; what class; how much fuel was consumed; how many units were converted to compressed natural gas and liquefied gas; how many units were purchased on electricity.

The reduction of emissions from motor transport is facilitated by the constantly expanding urban cycling infrastructure and the increased use of bicycles and other types of environmentally friendly personal mobility transport by citizens.

Motor transport emissions are a set of toxic elements formed from engine exhaust, wear products of mechanical parts, tires, and road surface.

It is estimated that for a mileage of 15 thousand km, one car burns more than 2 tons of fuel and consumes about 30 tons of air, while about 700 kg of carbon monoxide, 400 kg of nitrogen dioxide, 230 kg of hydrocarbons, and a number of other pollutants are released into the atmosphere.

Chemical compounds in exhaust gases adversely affect the human respiratory and cardiovascular systems, cause a weakening of immunity, which leads to the exacerbation of chronic diseases.

And this is with the normal operation of internal combustion engines.

Normal exhaust gases are practically colorless: this is why the trail behind most cars is almost invisible. If a car is "smoking" – this is a clear sign of abnormal engine operation. Regardless of the color and intensity of the smoke, this symptom should never be ignored.

Understanding that in modern conditions it is simply impossible to completely abandon cars, every citizen of our country should realize that by controlling the exhaust gas quality of their personal vehicle, they can significantly influence the quality of atmospheric air in their region, the air we breathe every day.

Traditionally, the Republic of Belarus supports the international campaign "World Car-Free Day," which is held annually on September 22.

Car-Free Day is organized differently in various cities around the world, but with a common goal – to reduce the number of cars on the streets. The benefit for society as a whole is a day without traffic jams and help for the environment.

Residents of the Rossonsky district of all age categories, as well as our guests, are invited to participate in environmental events.