Some US states and Canada are boosting efforts to get older, dirtier cars off the roads.
The moves come as people are holding onto vehicles longer than ever, amid a weakening economy. And it's expected that people will hold on to their cars and trucks even longer when new U.S. fuel efficiency rules boosting the industry wide, fleet average to 35 miles per gallon drive up the price of new vehicles.
That's why new initiatives are sprouting to get older cars off the roads.
In January, Texas unveiled a $45 million annual program, dubbed "Drive a Clean Machine" that offers up to $3,500 toward a new vehicle for consumers in Austin, Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth area who make lower incomes and own a vehicle at least 10 years old.
The program has retired more than 11,000 vehicles this year, said Andrea Morrow, a spokeswoman for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. "It's a great way to get those older vehicles off the roads."
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