Coal rolling craze builds

A growing number of North American diesel utes and pick-up truck owners are embracing 'coal rolling'. This anti-social vehicular trend embraces the act of belching out thick black clouds of diesel smoke over other road users.

The unusual new fad generally requires modifications to the diesel vehicle in question, including the removal of emissions controls, and the addition of switch (and often a separate exhaust or smoke stack) that lets drivers switch the sooty smoke screen on and off.

Some US media reports suggest that coal rolling is in response to US President Barack Obama's pro-environment movement and increasingly strict emissions regulations.

Coal rolling is usually initiated for no logical reason, often just different views, as subjects of coal rolling are selected because of the cars they drive, mostly hybrids.

The effects for victims of coal rolling include being blinded by the thick smoke, which has the potential to lead to collisions, and being choked by the carcinogenic smoke, which has various negative health outcomes.

The Environmental Protection Agency in the USA has deemed coal rolling illegal and told Autoblog.com that "Tampering with vehicle pollution controls is against the law".

"Tailpipe pollution, uncontrolled by emissions reduction technology, contains high levels of soot and smog-forming chemicals, which are linked to premature death in people with heart or lung disease, aggravated asthma and other serious, negative health effects," said the EPA.

Diesel cars account for a very small portion of total vehicle sales in the USA, with total sales of oilers accounting for only three per cent of new passenger car sales in 2012. But the projections suggest that number will follow the Australian lead and could grow to 10% by 2018.

Videos of coal rolling:

Coal roller smoke valve unleashes smoke indiscriminately

Coal rollers cruise through intersection, obscuring vision

Sleeping motorist choke-out 'prank'

Video title: "This is what I think of hybrid cars"