Have you ever left your car idling for a few minutes while waiting to pick up your child at school? Have you ever left your engine running while you made a quick purchase at a convenience store? Did you know that only 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than turning the engine off and on? While it may not seem like these actions can cause much harm, air pollution from vehicle exhaust is among the largest air pollution sources in the state of New Jersey. Idling any vehicle (gasoline or diesel) for more than three minutes is also against the law (unless you are in traffic, where constantly turning engines off and on might cause safety issues).

Health Risks from Particulate Matter
The fine particulate matter found in vehicle exhaust poses significant health threats. It can easily reach deep into the lungs. Every year, hundreds of New Jerseyans die prematurely from exposure to diesel exhaust. Particulate matter contributes to other health problems such as aggravated asthma, labored breathing and other respiratory ailments that require emergency-room care or hospitalization. Those most at risk include the elderly, people with asthma or pre-existing heart or lung disease, and children. The elderly are especially at risk for premature death from the effects of particulate matter.

Why Target Idling?
Idling vehicles emit 400 tons of particulate matter into New Jersey’s air each year. A significant portion of idling is unnecessary and eliminating it could reduce the amount of particulate matter being released by up to 200 tons annually.

In addition to the environmental and health benefits from reducing vehicle idling, shutting off the engines of diesel vehicles has also been shown to save on fuel costs, increase the life of the engine, reduce maintenance costs, and improve the quality of life for the individuals who live and work in areas where large numbers of vehicles idle.

Improved Quality of Life at Rest Areas
One area of concern is truck rest stops, where trucks sometimes idle for long periods as their drivers rest. With the engine off, there is evidence that the truck drivers themselves have seen an increase in the quality of their rest in the sleeper berth and a markedly improvement in the condition of air in the confined space. While there are many advantages to reducing idling, changing drivers’ habits has been a most difficult challenge to overcome.

Idling Awareness for Everyone
DEP’s Diesel Risk Reduction Program launched an advertising campaign this past summer with the catch phrase “Idling Stinks!” Funded through a federal Environmental Protection Agency grant, reducing air pollution from unnecessary vehicle idling was the goal. In the past, any anti-idling awareness that was done targeted the commercial diesel vehicle driver, even though the idling regulation is applicable to anyone driving a diesel- or gasoline-powered vehicle.

What Can You Do?
As a resident of New Jersey, you can help by not idling your vehicle and encouraging your friends and family to stop idling too. Encourage your school district to sign the No Idling Pledge. Encourage businesses to purchase and install “No Idling Zone” signs to spread awareness. Report diesel vehicles that are idling for more than 3 minutes to the DEP Hotline at (877) WARNDEP.

With the recently adopted revisions to the State’s three-minute diesel idling standard, the publication of several enforcement advisories, and an increase in the enforcement of this idling standard, the Diesel Risk Reduction Program secured an EPA grant aimed at increasing awareness of the State’s idling law and showing all drivers the benefits to themselves and others that would result from reduced idling. This would have the two-fold result of informing a wider section of public about the law and giving the community a number of good reasons to make a change away from the status quo.

Using the central theme “Idling Stinks,” the anti-idling message was seen this summer on billboards across New Jersey, lighted signs at a number of minor league baseball parks, signs on New Jersey Transit buses and backs of Atlantic City Jitneys, double-sided glossy colored inserts in the two major State newspapers, and train station signs. This brought maximum exposure during the peak ozone summer season when particulate matter has its biggest environmental impact.

While the campaign continues into the fall, it has already garnered much attention and interest in the regulated community, media, and general public. Feedback has been extremely positive, already yielding the awareness and change in perception that were the goals of this project.

For more information, visit www.StopTheSoot.org