Off-road vehicles and equipment (e.g., forklifts, tractors, dirt bikes) are a major source of air pollution in California due to their heavy reliance on diesel engines, which emit high levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and other emissions. These pollutants cause a range of health impacts, including respiratory diseases like asthma, increased cancer risk, premature death, and other ailments, and disproportionately affect low-income communities located near highways, freight hubs, ports, and industrial areas.
