How to avoid/deal with exhaust fumes when riding in traffic I live in Chicago, and I ride through the downtown area and other congested streets to and from work every day. Often when I am at a stoplight, I am directly behind or next to several cars belching exhaust. I can't help but smell and inhale it. Sometimes I try to hold my breath, but I can't always hold it for long enough. It smells bad, and I do not wish to inhale carbon monoxide. Is there some great product out there, or maybe just some tips and tricks from other city riders, on how to avoid inhaling exhaust fumes while riding through heavily trafficked urban streets?

Edit

I believe my question is similar to or the same as the suggested duplicate about "how to protect yourself from pollution", however that question has no usable answer (The answer is basically "a gas mask would help, but of course you cant go biking with a gas mask"). I believe my question is not the same as "is pollution a problem" because I am not making/seeking a judgment on pollution, positive, negative, or otherwise, I am just attempting to avoid it/minimize my exposure.
From The Guardian: (I suggest you Click through &amp; read the whole article)

"It’s a scenario familiar to any urban cyclist: you’re stuck behind a fume-belching bus or taxi, a choking diesel aroma wafting through your lungs. You think: is this really the healthy option?

The good, if simple, answer from pollution experts is: yes. Cycling does remain many, many times better for your health than not cycling, even factoring in exposure to pollution and the risk of accident. What’s more surprising is that on two wheels you might even be exposed to less of the smelly stuff * than those using other forms of transport." *(Emphasis added.)

I have read elsewhere (although I can't find the link now) that this lower exposure is due simply to the fact you are up higher than a person in a sedan, and the pollutants tend to sink.

Edit: 


  It's not so much that the rider is higher up, but that the cabin air
  intake of a car is effectively at exhaust pipe level


(Thanks @Chris H)

The science is out the anti-pollution masks, not so much because they are incapable of performing their advertised function, but because exposure levels are much lower for the typical cyclist than most people suppose.

Edit two:

To attempt to address the last crux of your question, it may be reasonable to say that you are already avoiding more exhaust just by biking &amp; not driving, other than that; take a less heavily trafficked route &amp; otherwise don't worry about it.

I suspect general air quality should be more of a concern than incidental exhaust exposure.