Why such a focus on reducing vehicle idling?  Here are five good reasons:

1. Combustion engines are a major contributor to air pollution;

2. Exhaust fumes from vehicles directly impact human health;

3. Vehicle idling is a contributor to climate change;

4. Excessive vehicle idling costs money and wastes fuel; and,

5. Excessive idling can damage your car engine.

The contaminants from vehicle exhaust pipes pollute the air we breathe and are a major contributor to smog. Vehicle exhaust emissions also contribute to other environmental problems, such as acid rain and climate change through global warming.

Recent studies have found that smog, caused in a large part by vehicle exhaust, increases hospital admissions, respiratory illnesses and premature deaths.

According to Health Canada approximately 5, 000 people nation-wide die prematurely each year as a result of air pollution, and thousands more become ill. In particular, children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems are at risk.

Excessive idling is also costly. Running an engine while going nowhere is a waste of fuel and money, as your fuel efficiency is 0.0 km/L. Modern cars, with their electronic fuel systems, do not need long warm-up periods, even in the winter. In fact, the car warms up quicker when it is being driven, as the engine starts working and the parts begin to move. And because an idling engine does not fully burn all of its fuel, deposits form inside the engine which make it less efficient and contribute to unnecessary wear over time.