Study Summary — Does Living Along a Busy Highway Increase Premature Births?

Link to Study: Does Living Along a Busy Highway Increase Premature Births?

Key points:

• E-Zpass tolling systems allow cars to pay tolls without coming to a stop, and thereby reduce ambient levels of emissions in the locations where they are installed in place of conventional full-stop tolling systems.
• In locations where E-Zpass systems are installed, rates of premature birth drop, and infant birth weights increase.
• The reductions in healthcare costs associated with the installation of E-Zpass systems makes them an excellent investment.
• A recent estimate posits that premature births cost society roughly $51,000 per infant. This estimate includes both short and long term medical expenses.

Excerpts:

• “Among families living within 2 kilometers of expressway toll booths, premature births fell by between 6.7 percent and 9.2 per- cent after the installation of E-ZPass tolling systems (After E-Zpass systems replaced conventional toll boths). The incidence of low birth weight fell by between 8.5 percent and 11.3 percent.”
• “Reducing prenatal exposure to the pollutants from congestion could reduce preterm births by as many as 8,600 annually, for a cost savings of at least $444 million per year.”