Most drivers don’t mean to be wasteful when they choose to idle. They just don’t really think about it. Some of them might even be reasoning that restarting the vehicle wastes more gas when compared to letting it run. With the right facts, they are more than willing to alter their behavior. With that in mind, we have put together some unique initiatives that you can take to raise awareness amongst your friends, family members and drivers you know to stop idling.
Use your social superpowers
It’s time to turn on your social media influence and share your enthusiasm for idling with your social networks. Need facts to back your claims?
Fill out our form and get them all. Tailor your message based on the social media website that you are leveraging to be an idling influencer.
For instance, you can use Facebook to share your insights on the amount of money you’ve saved since you’ve stopped idling.
You can use your professional networking website to share details on how not idling on your way to work has helped you improve the air quality of the city.
Launch an anti-idling campaign in your community
From posting signs to raise awareness to encouraging members of your community to get on board for a safer and healthier community, there are a number of ways to launch a campaign. Determine motivators to change idling behavior.
Parents seem to be motivated by messages that refer to the health of their children such as - Idling at school is extremely dangerous to your child’s health as childhood asthma is on the rise and there is a direct link to air quality.
From sharing an article to your church bulletin to organizing a pledge drive, there are a number of initiatives that you can take as a part of your awareness campaign.
It is a great idea to recruit volunteers help to have some extra help while you undertake such campaigns.
Who doesn't enjoy a movie? We hope that you would be able to screen Idle Threat, a lively look at one man’s spirited struggle to improve public health by raising awareness about idling’s impact, starting in New York City.
There are quite a few folks in NY who have made reporting idlers into a lucrative side hustle. Following the creation of a reward program for ratting out idlers, the number of summonses that were issued for violating the city’s anti-idling law went up multi-fold. Watch this video to know how you can get a fair bit of coin for your efforts to improve the air quality of the city.
Lucrative reward program
It took 47 tips for lawyer David Dong to earn $4,912.80. Zachary Tinkelman managed to earn $4,600 from reporting idlers in the city. In fact, a story in NY Post has reported that 13 individuals have earned nearly $20,000 for reporting idling vehicles. The law limits the citizen complaint program to trucks and buses. However, that has not stopped citizens from garnering evidence to report trucks that are used or maintained primarily for transportation of property and buses with a seating capacity of over 15 passengers. Citizens are expected to submit their completed complaint, affidavit with all supporting evidence on the Idling Compliant System.
What do you need to submit the citizen complaint?
- Firstly, you need a time and date stamped video that you have filmed right after you found a truck or a bus idling for over a minute next to a K-12 school or for over 3 minutes. The license plate and the company information of the vehicle needs to be recorded. You can even use a time and date stamped still picture or screengrab that clearly shows the license plate and the company name, address of the vehicle. If the complaint is about a bus, a time and date stamped still image from a weather agency that displays temperature above 40℉ at the time of the observation.
- Secondly, you need to visit the Idling Compliant System and submit the complaint here and keep track of your complaints.
- When the DEP issues summons, you will be informed and might require to be available in person or over the phone to testify. Based on the summons being upheld or dismissed, you would receive payment for your complaint.
Need help in time stamping your photo or video? Download the “Timestamp Camera Enterprise” application to your mobile device using the below links and get started!
This is one of the best ways to ensure that the city is free from needless idling. Share your thoughts and comments below and let us know if you have been successful in reporting an idling vehicle.
Let’s face it, we’ve all asked ourselves - how long can my car idle? It’s no surprise as many Americans prefer to turn on their engines ahead of time and let it idle so they can hop into a cozy car. Some of us might have also heard that it’s good for our car. By letting it stay idle, you’re just wasting gasoline and polluting your neighbourhood.
The simple answer to the question - how long can a car idle is - indefinitely. A number of people believe that idling is a better option as restarting it is bad for the engine or leaving the car running uses less fuel. Many of them believe that idling is an effective way to warm up a vehicle as well. However, the fact is vehicle emissions as a result of idling are a major contributor to air pollution and idling produces more pollution per minute when compared to driving. In fact, studies have linked various types of vehicle emissions to cardiopulmonary diseases and other breathing ailments. If that’s not enough, idling strips oil from the cylinder and piston of your vehicle that are critical components that help your engine run.
How does idling affect your vehicle engine?
Leaving your vehicle idle consumes gas. In fact, if you let your car idle for two minutes it is equivalent to driving a mile. Longer idling also leads to motor oil being circulated and burned up. This adds to your oil change expenses. Constant idling can lead to your spark plugs, head gasket and cylinder rings to deteriorate and eventually stop working too. As opposed to popular belief, idling does not allow your battery to charge but causes it to strain. If you choose to keep your car idling in a confined space, you could be exposing yourself to toxic results.
What are your options?
We’ve rounded up a list of reasons why people choose to let their car idle. Are you waiting to pick your kids up from school? Are you going through the drive-thru and need to leave your car idle? Here are some options for you. Instead of waiting in your car, turn it off and head outside to wait for your kids or pick up the stuff you need at a store. If you can’t go inside, turn off your car, roll down your window and enjoy the breeze or the view or both!