Toward an Idle-Free Zone

1. Toward anIdle-Free Zone <INSERT LEAD IMAGE FROM WEBSITE> Taking Action to Reduce Vehicle Idling

2. Presentation Overview • Why idling is a problem • Myths about idling • Benefits of taking action • What we can do about idling

3. Why Idling Is a Problem Idling our vehicles: • produces unnecessary pollution that contributes to climate change, smog and health problems; • wastes fuel and costs us money; and • is not good for vehicle engines.

4. Canadians’ Idling Habits • Most idle 5–10 minutes a day. • Idling produces unnecessary emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). • Idling jeopardizes our health.

5. It can be done . . . with the turn of a key. • If every driver of a light-duty vehicle in Canada avoided idling for just five minutes, we would: • save 1.9 million litres of fuel; • save $1.3 million (at $0.70/litre); and • prevent more than 4500 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

6. Idling Myth No. 1The engine should be warmed up before driving. Reality • Idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle. • Driving your vehicle is the best way to warm it up. • 30 seconds of warming up your vehicle on winter days is enough.

7. Idling Myth No. 2 Idling is good for your engine. Reality • Excessive idling can damage your engine components, including cylinders, spark plugs and the exhaust system.

8. Idling Myth No. 3 Shutting off and restarting your vehicle is hard on the engine and uses more gas. Reality • Frequent restarting has little impact on engine components. • More than 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine.

9. The Benefits of Taking Action Not idling will: • save you money; • let you breathe more easily; • help you spare our climate and air; and • reduce engine wear and tear.

10. What We Can Do! Voluntary Options As individuals • Your personal five-step anti-idling action plan Together • School-based campaigns • Work-based initiatives • Community awareness and outreach campaign Regulatory Options • Idling control by-laws

11. The Five-Step Anti-Idling Action Plan • Reduce “warm up” idling to 30 seconds. • If you are going to be stopped for more than 10 seconds, turn off your engine. • Do not use a remote car starter. • In temperatures of 0C or less, use a block heater to warm your engine before you start it. • Spread the word to your family and friends.

12. School-Based Campaigns The recent “Turn it Off” project in the City of Toronto found that over a third (35–45 percent) of parents idle their vehicles while waiting to pick up their children.

13. School-Based Campaigns We can: • use newsletters, information cards, anti-idling signs and stickers for vehicle windows. • involve students: make banners, develop a monitoring program and teach anti-idling in classes.

14. Work-Based Initiatives • As an individual, contact companies to suggest that their drivers turn off their engines when parked. • As a fleet owner or manager, take steps to reduce idling in your own fleet, or join with other businesses and industries in a “fleet challenge.”

15. Work-Based Initiatives • Molson Canada, a participant in the “Repair Our Air” fleet challenge, estimates it is saving $225,000 a year because of its idling control program.

16. Community Awareness and Outreach Campaign • Distribute anti-idling signs, information cards and vehicle stickers. • Distribute flyers and posters. • Develop a community Web page. • Prepare press releases and articles for the local newspaper. • Produce displays for local events. • Make a presentation to city council, the chamber of commerce or other community organizations.

17. Idling Control By-Laws • Find out if your municipality has an idling control by-law or whether it is considering one. • Some municipalities have adopted other creative non-regulatory measures – such as anti-idling policies for transit fleets – rather than make unnecessary idling against the law.

18. The “Idle-Free Zone”Tool Kit The source for our anti-idling campaign: • Fact sheets and frequently asked questions • Games and quizzes • Calculators and worksheets • Case studies and vignettes • Web site links • Graphics • Campaign materials such as letters to the editor, posters, brochures, information cards, stickers, presentations, a personal five-step action plan and idling observation forms

19. The Anti-Idling Tool KitReady-to-Use Graphics

20. The Anti-Idling Tool Kit Campaign Materials

21. Summary • Unnecessary idling produces unnecessary pollution. • Idling wastes fuel and costs us money. • Idling is not good for our vehicles’ engines. • We can stop idling and help spare our air, slow climate change and save energy and money. • There are many voluntary and regulatory approaches we can take to stop idling.

22. It’s Up to Us! • The first step is to take action to reduce your own vehicle’s idling. • Next, we need to get out there and let people know it’s a problem and what can be done about it – we need to shatter the myths about idling. • Together, we can make a difference!

23. For more information • Visit the Idle-Free Zone: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/autosmart/idling/ <INSERT LEAD IMAGE FROM WEBSITE>