A group of eminent Australian doctors and scientists — including a Nobel laureate, a former governor and WA’s former Australian of the Year, Fiona Stanley — have called for stronger laws to control car emissions and improve air quality.

The group, known as Doctors of Environmental Australia, say car emissions are a major contributor to air pollution and that “strong laws” are needed to improve the quality of fuel and vehicles sold in Australia.

In its submission to the Federal Government’s Better Fuel and Cleaner Air inquiry, the group said children living or attending schools close to major roads were being exposed to more hazardous air pollution.

Group spokesman and paediatrician Karen Kiang said the cost of premature deaths because of outdoor air pollution in Australia was about $8 billion a year.

“Children are especially susceptible to asthma and wheeze because of their relatively small airways and they breathe more air per body weight than adults,” Dr Kiang said.

The group has recommended import bans on any passenger car that does not meet the Euro6 standard or an equivalent, “real world” vehicle emission testing in congested traffic, reduced sulphur in petrol and tax measures to reduce diesel usage, and incentives for electric vehicles.

Other members of the group include immunologist Sir Gustav Nossal, Nobel Prize winner Peter Doherty, former Victorian governor David de Kretser and Curtin University’s Peter Newman.

RAC’s public policy general manager Anne Still said that Australia’s high levels of carbon dioxide emissions from transport was a concern.