In the winter, many parents will drive their kids to and from the bus stop every day.  Then they idle their car or van waiting for the bus while they waste precious gas and generate excess exhaust.  Most times, you see several neighbors on the same street, each with their own vehicle idling.

This may seem like a small issue and it is, for just one vehicle.  Now consider all the parents across the country and how many vehicles are idling every single day.  Yes, this is a significant waste of money and resources.

So does a vehicle idling really burn that much fuel?  Studies have shown that an average car will consume one gallon of gas for each hour of idling and those costs can quickly add up.  You should turn off your engine if you’re going to be stopped for more than 30 seconds, except in traffic.  This is just another compelling reason to reduce traffic.

We should also reduce idling is to prolong the life of your car.  Idling can cause damage to your vehicle’s engine since it is not working at its peak temperature.  This can result in incomplete fuel combustion which leads to several engine problems and potential damage to your exhaust due to water condensation.

Finally, idling is a health issue.  Vehicle emissions are known to cause significant respiratory health effects.  Children can suffer with asthma and the elderly struggle with emphysema and chronic bronchitis.  Any reduction in exhaust fumes would improve respiratory health since the air would be cleaner.

We can not idly sit back and wait for someone else to fix our problems.  Each of us needs to make small contributions every day to have a big impact.  What will your contribution be?

photo credit: TheTruthAbout…