Idling your car for over 10 seconds uses more fuel
and emits more CO2 than engine restarting.
Source: afdc.energy.gov
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At School
Pick-up/Drop-Off
For Takeaway
Pick-up
Waiting at
Petrol Stations
Train Station
Pick-up/Drop-off
Pointless Pollution That Harms Our Health
Aside from at traffic lights, leaving car engines running while stationary is an unnecessary source of air pollution. In fact, just one idling car engine equates to roughly 150 balloons worth of harmful emissions every minute! (Source: cleanerairportsmouth.co.uk)
There are also considerable health impacts, particularly for young children as schools seem to be a hotspot for unnecessary and lengthy car idling. A recent Sydney Morning Herald article revealed that in Australia, findings suggest vehicle emissions cause more than 11,000 premature deaths, 12,200 cardiovascular hospitalisations, 6,800 respiratory hospitalisations and 66,000 childhood asthma cases every year.
Put simply, turning your car off when stationary (e.g. school pick-up);
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Saves you money on fuel, helping the economy by reducing levels of wasted resource.
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Helps protect community health, particularly school children
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Helps the planet by reducing CO2 emissions.
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The largest environmental risk to health is air pollution. Remember to turn your engine off when you stop and encourage your local community to do the same.
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Here are just a few of the pollutants released into the air while you leave your car engine running:
(Source: switchoffandbreathe.org)
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An easy switch can save our health and help the planet.
Climate Advocate/Communications Strategist Lynley Hamblen founded the 'Engine Off When You Stop' campaign as a quick, cost-effective, common sense campaign to change driver behaviour and reduce emissions in a country that is heavily reliant on privately-owned cars for transport.
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Want to breathe easy? Help reduce air pollution from idling cars by spreading the message to your friends and family and sharing this page with your networks. Let's do this.
