JANUARY 10, 2013 BY
Aaaahhh, breathe in the smell of vehicle exhaust on a crisp Colorado morning! WAIT! COUGH…COUGH…Wouldn’t you rather enjoy the smell of coffee and breakfast, or just fresh air?
The local Spare the Air educational campaign – sponsored by many organizations and businesses ranging from the city to county to hospital – encourages you to limit your vehicle idling time to 30 seconds.
Here are some FACTS to consider:
- 1 minute of idling produces more carbon monoxide than 3 packs of cigarettes.
- Idling consumes up to one gallon of fuel per hour and wastes more fuel than turning off and on a vehicle engine.
- Mechanics and car companies agree that excessive idling is hard on a vehicle’s engine because it is not working at peak operating temperatures.
- Exposure to vehicle exhaust increases the risk of death from heart and lung disease and lung cancer. Air pollution damages developing lungs and worsen asthma.
- Modern fuel-injected engines, both gasoline and diesel, need no more than 30 seconds of idling on cold days before driving away gently.
How YOU can help:
- Pledge to limit vehicle warm-up time to less than 5 minutes even on the coldest mornings by grabbing your coat and utilizing best practices to clear windshields.
- Abide by the Colorado law that prohibits leaving an unattended vehicle idling.
- Remind delivery vendors to abide by a 2011 Colorado law that limits idling of diesel engine vehicles above 14,000 pounds to 5 minutes per hour.
For more information, visit www.yvsc.org/programs/spare-the-air,
www.EnginesOff.com or www.IdleFree.Utah.gov
Watch a great 6-minute educational video at www.fcgov.com/breatheeasy
