Federal studies show that transportation accounts for 26.6% of Arkansas's carbon emissions. Trucks make up 4% of the registered vehicles in Arkansas, however due to a number of factors, large and mid-size trucks contribute more than 4% of the state's emissions. First, compared to huge truck engines, passenger car engines release less carbon. Second, because many trucks in Arkansas are not registered there and instead go through the state on pass-through trips, their traffic was not included in the energy research. Over 20,000 trucks travel along some stretches of Interstates 40 and 30 every day.
In Arkansas, there are more than 2.1 million registered passenger cars. Arkansas drivers travel less miles than Americans on average each year. Compared to the 36.1 miles travelled daily by the average American, Arkansas drivers travel 26.6 miles less each day. It makes sense that vehicles that are halted on the highway release more pollution than those that are moving more swiftly to their destination. Because of this, the Department of Transportation will allocate some federal cash for the control of traffic. For instance, the Department employs a number of strategies to reduce traffic in construction zones when a contractor is selected for a roadway project.