ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES
The high environmental requirements for vehicles are not a tribute to fashion, but a concern for human health and environmental protection, a desire to preserve it for descendants. Pollution of the air basin from various modes of transport is a key factor affecting the environment and thus the health of the population. In support, the World Health Organization (WHO) provides evidence that the cause of 40...50 per cent of human diseases is environmental change and, in particular, atmospheric pollution. It is therefore recognized by the international community that a shift towards cleaner transport is desirable. This can be achieved by using alternative fuel types as an energy source, new technical and technological solutions that minimize the possible level of environmental pollution. For example, recently there have been so-called «eco-friendly» cars - electric, hybrid (with an internal combustion engine powered by gasoline or diesel fuel and an electric motor powered by a battery), solar batteries, gas fuel, etc. The initiative to reduce emissions of pollutants into the environment by road was initiated by ecologists in the 1980s-1990s. Subsequently, the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) developed specific exhaust toxicity requirements as set out in its approved Regulation No. 49 and subsequent amendments thereto. Since 1987, the Russian Federation has been a full party to the UNECE agreement. Consequently, compliance with UNECE Regulations in international transport is mandatory in our country. These Regulations are reviewed and supplemented almost annually, taking into account changing conditions of road transport operation and world experience. Thus, protecting the environment from the harmful effects of vehicle emissions (ATS) is a pressing environmental problem. The systematic increase in the number of ATS and the intensity of road traffic, as well as the marked expansion of the fleet of ATS owned by the population in the cities of our country, are the reason for the increase in the contribution of ATS emissions to the total emission of pollutants into the environment. Obviously, the environmental impact of ATS can be reduced mainly by improving environmental friendliness.