Idling Gets you Nowhere
Turn off Your engine while parked!
Leaving a vehicle idling - it's something we often do without thinking about it. Sometimes you can't avoid it, such as while waiting at a traffic light or when caught in traffic. But many times you can!
Help Improve Air Quality & Conserve Energy
Unnecessary idling wastes fuel and money, pollutes the air we breathe, contributes to climate change and damages your engine. Idling for over 10 seconds uses more fuel than restarting you engine.
Common Idling Myths
Myth: An engine should be warmed up for long periods before driving especially in cold weather.
Contrary to popular belief, idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in colder weather. Modern engines circulate oil throughout the engine quickly and the best way to warm up the lubricants in transmission, etc. is to drive the vehicle. Even diesel engines in very cold weather (rarely seen on Vancouver Island) require no more than 30 seconds of idling before starting to drive.
Myth: Shutting off and restarting your vehicle is harder on the engine and uses more gas than if you leave it running.
Extensive testing has proven that idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel than stopping and restarting the engine. Further, frequent restarting has little impact on engine components, and the cost of any additional wear is easily negated by fuel savings.
Myth: Idling is good for your engine.
Excessive idling actually damages the engine’s components. Because the engine is not operating at its peak temperature, fuel combustion is incomplete, leaving residues that contaminate oil and damage engine components. Studies have shown that the wear and tear from engine idling for one hour is equivalent to two hours of driving.
Idling Is Hazardous to Our Health
- The negative health implications of exposure to vehicle emissions are well documented and have been shown to cause significant respiratory and cardiovascular health effects.
- Diesel and gasoline exhaust contain more than 40 hazardous pollutants, including nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur oxide, volatile organic compounds and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
- Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, because they inhale more air per pound of body weight.
- Health Canada estimates that more than 5000 premature deaths per year are due to poor air quality.
Natural Resources Canada: Health Implications of Idling
Idling Is Hazardous to Our Environment
- Vehicle exhaust contributes to increasing GHG emissions, linked closely to climate change.
Idling Wastes Fuel & Money
- Idling your vehicle for 10 minutes a day can use more than 100 litres of gasoline in a year.
- Over $700 million is idled away by Canadians each year.
- An idling car burns fuel much more inefficiently than a moving car - save your money and turn your engine off while parked.
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