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Emission link with road condition <\/strong><\/p>\n European research shows that smoother roads can reduce CO2<\/sub> emissions from vehicles by around five per cent, highlighting the need for road maintenance to be part of any strategy to reduce road emissions.<\/p>\n The research was carried out by members of FEHRL (Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories). It adds weight to the call from FEHRL \u2013 along with EAPA (European Asphalt Pavement Association) and EUPAVE (European Concrete Paving Association) \u2013 for increased investment in roads and greater alignment of policies on CO2<\/sub> with those for upgrading and maintenance of roads.<\/p>\n The findings show that the condition of the road surface directly influences vehicle fuel consumption: if the surface is in poor repair, fuel energy will be wasted. \u2018Rolling losses\u2019 include energy used in overcoming the effects of unevenness, joints and rutting through suspension systems and from high rolling resistance at the tyre\/road interface. In addition, a road network which is allowed to deteriorate will also lead to higher road maintenance or reconstruction costs over the long term \u2013 contributing to further CO2 <\/sub>emissions.<\/p>\n