SPONSORED BY: Austin Transportation Air Quality Program
Vehicle idling – it’s no idle threat! An idling vehicle is not only wasteful, but harmful to the environment and those around you. Engine idling contributes to air pollution that negatively affects public health, creates noise pollution, and increases engine maintenance costs. According to the U. S. Department of Energy, if each car in the U.S. were to idle just six minutes per day, about 2 billion gallons of fuel would be wasted annually, costing drivers $10 billion or more.
You can take some simple actions to reduce idling, especially while waiting to drop off or pick up children at school, like:
- Turn your vehicle off when it is stopped and in park
- Use alternative travel routes or avoid peak travel times where stand-still traffic may occur
- Choose to eat or purchase food inside of restaurants rather than idling in drive-thru lines
- Consider driving a hybrid or electric vehicle
To learn more, visit http://data.capcog.org/air-quality/engineoff/eo/EngineOff.html