More than twice as many people die from it than in car accidents, yet this invisible killer takes an increasing number of lives – even more than car accidents.

Airborne pollution kills more than 3000 people a year through illnesses, and levels of pollution have sharply risen over the past five years.

In contrast, the national road toll dropped by 25 per cent from 2003 to 2013, Federal Infrastructure Department statistics show.

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The figures have prompted a call to curb the silent and deadly killer with legislation, penalties and an air pollution watchdog.

The coal industry has been pinpointed as the main source of pollution, with huge sites in all states except Tasmania affected, lawyers from Environmental Justice Australia said.

According to Australian Government statistics from the National Pollutant Inventory, particle air pollution at Newcastle’s coal terminal increased by 70 per cent over the past five years.

In Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, where a fire burned out of control at a coal mine last year, dangerous fine particle air pollution increased by 27 per cent and coarser air pollution increased by 28 per cent.

“A recent report into the health impacts of coal mining in the Hunter Valley estimated that health costs were $600 million a year, just from those coal mines,” Nicola Rivers from Environmental Justice Australia said.

Ms Rivers said action is urgently needed.

“What we really need is national air pollution laws that bind all the states and ensures we can have really good protection for people’s health,” he said.