Road vehicle emission is an important effectiveness measurement of any sustainable highway transportation system. Deterioration of road surface is considered as the basic problem, such as traffic congestion and road accidents including the increase in fuel consumption which leads to increase in emissions. Evaluating the effects of traffic emissions due to roughness of the highway system is the objective of the work taken up. The analysis takes account of emissions from the vehicles based on the road roughness characteristics. The road roughness and the vehicle emissions data can be used as ready reckoners to estimate the timely need of pavement surface treatment.

The work was conducted on three stretches of roads in Hyderabad, namely Road Opposite to Arts College Physics Department to New Godavari Hostel, OUCT Road Temple to Sports Hostel, and DD colony A-lane. The roughness of these roads has been measured using MERLIN (Machine for Evaluation Roughness using Low-cost Instrumentation). Vehicle emissions over these road stretches were measured and determined by using AVL DiGas 444 Analyzer. Different ages and models of vehicle (Alto and Swift petrol vehicles) were used in this study. Comparisons were made for emissions on different stretches. The comparisons show appreciable percentage of increase in emission on the stretches with higher distress, i.e., higher IRI value.