"Being a new driver I'm all ready to just get in the car and go," said Emma Weatherly, of west El Paso.

Weatherly has only been driving for six months, but according to USA Today, a study released by Harvard University shows her excitement could prove to be deadly. It claims 2,200 people died in 2010 as a result of health problems, primarily respiratory, from being stuck in traffic.

"Maybe long term but not immediate," said Janice Bryan, of west El Paso.

While El Pasoans said they only spend about an hour a day stuck in traffic, mechanics said that's plenty of time to breathe in toxic fumes.

"Carbon monoxide, hydro-carbons and NOx," said Moroni Estueinan, the owner, of Just Fix It in El Paso.

Estueinan said those are just some of the emissions that come off vehicles.

"They come off in small levels, but if you don't maintain your vehicle, then what you're going to get is a lot of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons," he said.

Mechanics at Just Fix It said not keeping cars maintained is a common problem in El Paso. They said drivers wait until the last minute to get maintenance for their cars. They showed KFOX 14 spark plug cables off a car that had just been taken into the shop. They had cracks and a hole in the wire. Mechanics said that would cause even more emissions to come off the car.

Researchers said vehicle emissions contribute up to one-third of particulate matter in urban areas.

"People are behind you. You're actually, your car's putting the emissions at them and your smelling the emissions," Estueinan.

The price tag to treat emission-health related problems was estimated at $18 billion for 2010, according to the Harvard University study. The price to maintain your vehicle which is recommended every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, is much less.

"You're looking about $150 to $200 would be spark plugs and oil change and cables," said Estueinan.

While mechanics said El Pasoans will continue to wait until their car is on its last breath to get maintenance, many laugh at the idea of staying off the roads and out of traffic.

“We all have to work, so no I’m not going to get up earlier to miss the traffic. So now I will be in traffic, bearing the consequences of being in traffic," said Bryan.

Researchers said the number of deaths is on the decline thanks to cleaner fuel, among other things, but they estimate deaths will go back up by 2030.

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