2009 Press Release: Idling Gets You Nowhere
For immediate release
April 9, 2009
Idling wastes fuel and money and pollutes the air we breathe. The
City of Des Plaines invites drivers to turn off their engines while
stopped at freight train crossings. Other opportunities to turn off
the car:
While picking up kids at school or extracurricular activities.
At the bank’s drive-through window.
While picking up family and friends at the train station or
airport.
MYTHS ABOUT IDLING
Myth: Idling is good for your engine.
Fact: Excessive idling can actually damage your engine’s
components, including cylinders, spark plugs and exhaust systems.
Myth: Shutting off and restarting your vehicle is hard on
the engine and uses more gas than if you leave it running.
Fact: Over ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting
your engine. Component wear caused by restarting the engine is
estimated to add $10 per year to the cost of driving, money that
will likely be recovered several times over in fuel savings from
reduced idling.
Myth: Your engine should be warmed up before driving.
Fact: The best way to do this is to drive the vehicle. With
today’s modern engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of idling
on winter days before driving away.
DID YOU KNOW?
An idling vehicle emits 20 x more pollution than one traveling
32 mph.
One hour of idling burns up to a gallon of fuel.
Children’s asthma symptoms increase as a result of exposure to
auto car exhaust.
Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children and the
leading cause of school absences.
Idling cars in the Metropolitan Chicago Region create 25 tons of
pollution per day.
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