Traffic might be irritating, but it’s also pretty awful for your health.
Kids are the most at risk for developing asthma, cardiovascular disease and even lung cancer from the smog that pours out of tailpipes. Their lungs are still developing, and the closer they are to traffic pollution, the higher the risk.
San Diego County has the fourth-highest number of asthma cases in the country. Ten years ago, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 352 to curb that. The law created a buffer zone for schools, and said districts couldn’t put schools within 500 feet of major freeways unless they had no other option.
READ MORE: 39 San Diego Schools Sit in the Traffic Pollution Danger Zone
But there are some exemptions, and plenty of wiggle room. Voice of San Diego reporter Joel Hoffmann and NBC 7’s Catherine Garcia talk through those loopholes in this week’s San Diego Explained.