Daily News Briefs: June 15, 2012
The World Health Organization says diesel fumes cause lung cancer, according to The New York Times. The fuel’s exhaust is considered to be more carcinogenic than secondhand cigarette smoke, said WHO, adding that it is a likely cause of bladder cancer. The American Cancer Society will probably reach the same conclusions soon, the New York Times reports. The ruling could have an impact on American workers heavily exposed to diesel exhaust, such as tollbooth attendants, the newspaper says. The study could also have an impact on the public’s perception of diesel vehicles, which have grown more popular over the past decade. Diesel advocates note that the WHO study mainly focuses on older diesel technology and not vehicles that use low-sulfur or ultra-low-sulfur fuel, which is mandatory in the U.S.
In other news:
- The 2013 Lexus ES is a strong contender for North American production, according to Ward’s Automotive. All Lexus models, except for the popular Canadian-built RX crossover, are currently built in Japan.
- Europe’s car safety administration, Euro NCAP, will start factoring automated emergency braking systems into its testing criteria, starting with the 2014 model year, according to the agency. Such automated systems are found prominently among Volvo, Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz models. In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has advocated for greater use of such systems and has looked into making them mandatory on future vehicles.
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