Anti-Idling

Leaving a vehicle idling - it's something we often do without thinking about it. Sometimes you can't avoid it, such as while waiting at a traffic light or when caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic. But many times you can!

Cutting down on idling reduces greenhouse gas emissions while also saving fuel costs. It's the smart thing to do, for our City and for our environment!

It's about our health!

• Car, truck and bus emissions are the single largest source of smog-causing pollutants in Ontario.
• Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, because they inhale more air per pound of body weight.
• Exposure to most auto pollutants is much higher inside a vehicle, than at the roadside.
• Every year, 16,000 Canadians die prematurely from air pollution.

It's about our environment!

• Climate change is caused by greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are mostly generated by burning fossil fuels.
• Industrialized nations have produced almost all the greenhouse gases now present in the atmosphere - and their emissions continue to grow.
• We can stabilize our climate by acting now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Cutting down on idling vehicles is a great place to begin!

It's about saving money!

• Ten seconds of idling uses more gas than restarting an engine.
• $680 million of fuel is idled away by Canadians annually.
• Reduced idling by 5 minutes a day saves you over $100 per year.

Excessive idling is harmful to your engine and can actually damage major components such as cylinders and the exhaust system.

The City runs anti-idling campaigns occasionally. Fact sheets, and school kits are available. For more information about the City's Idling Control Program, please contact Birgit Isernhagen, Environmental Planner, at 613-580-2424 ext. 27912 or at Birgit.Isernhagen@ottawa.ca. You can also visit the Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural Resources Canada's Idle-Free Zone, web site for more ways to help reduce vehicle idling at the local level.