(Plain Press, June 2017)      The Cleveland Department of Public Health would like to remind you that Idling Gets You Nowhere. It asks that you to: Turn your engine off when stopped for more than 10 seconds.

Idling leads to AIR POLLUTION and HEALTH PROBLEMS: We each take 20,000 breaths every day. Children breathe 50% more air than adults. Car exhaust contains toxic chemicals that impair our lungs and hearts. Breathing car exhaust increases the risk of death from heart and lung disease and lung cancer—especially for children, the elderly and people with asthma.

Asthma symptoms increase as-a-result-of air pollution and car exhaust: Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15. More and more children are being diagnosed with asthma each year. We estimate that 20% of children in Cleveland have asthma. Almost $15 million was spent in the U.S. in 2006 on asthma-related hospital care, physicians’ services and prescription drugs

Idling WASTES FUEL and is EXPENSIVE: Idling for 10 seconds or more uses more gas than restarting your engine. One hour of idling burns up to a gallon of fuel. Restarting your engine frequently has little impact on your engine.

Idling HARMS THE ENVIRONMENT: Car exhaust includes carbon dioxide (CO2). Excessive amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere can increase global warming. For each gallon of gas your car burns, it releases about 19 pounds of CO2

What is idling?

Idling means leaving a vehicle’s engine running when it is stopped, in park or not in use. Have you ever left your car running while: waiting to pick someone up? running errands? “warming up” your car?