From the Public Purpose Committee: Let’s Be Idle Free!
A reminder to all carpool drivers from the Public Purpose Committee—the SFS carpool lane is an Idle-Free Zone.
QUEUE UP! TURN OFF! THX!
To protect the health of our children and our environment, we ask you to observe the 10-second rule to reduce vehicle emissions. If you’ll be idling for more than 10 seconds, please turn off your engine.
IMPROVE OUR HEALTH AND AIR QUALITY
Exposure to exhaust fumes can cause nasal, throat, respiratory and eye problems. This form of pollution is more harmful to our children because their lungs are still growing and developing. They breathe 50% more air per pound of body weight than adults. They are closer to the ground, and therefore they are closer to our exhaust pipes. The airborne particles are particularly harmful to those with asthma, the most common chronic illness in children and the cause of most school absences. The WHO (World Health Organization) states that idling contributes to an increased risk of respiratory tract infections.
SLOW THE ADVANCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND CONSERVE ENERGY
Idling creates carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and benzene. That can not only poison the air, but also combine with other gases in the atmosphere to contribute to the greenhouse effect. According to the Department of Energy, the idling in the U.S. burns about 6 BILLION gallons of fuel annually. And according to a comprehensive study on the idling of passenger vehicles conducted by Vanderbilt University, idling when parked in the U.S. accounts for about 1.8 billion gallons of fuel used annually. Government studies show that any more than 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than it takes to restart an engine.
SAVE MONEY
It is a popular misconception that idling consumes less gas than turning off the engine and restarting it. But in fact, if you are going to be waiting for more than 30 seconds, it is more fuel efficient to turn off your engine! Idling also causes more wear and tear on engine parts. Worried about wear on your starter or battery? Run a parked vehicle more than 30 seconds and you’ll spend more on gas than in potential repair costs. Studies show that turning an engine on and off up to six times a day won’t shorten the life of the starter motor and battery, instead it will save fuel.
So please—queue up and turn off your engine if you’ll be idling for more than 10 seconds. Thanks!
Posted September 21, 2015
