Engines off

Spelthorne is stepping up the fight against car idling as part of the Council's desire to reduce air pollution in the Borough.

Drivers often leave their vehicle engines running whilst stationary on congested roads, at traffic lights, and waiting outside schools and businesses. However, the emissions from petrol and diesel engines contain nitrogen dioxide and particulates which are linked to asthma and other respiratory problems, as well as carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change. Leaving the engine running whilst stationary can produce double the emissions of a car in motion, and the fumes linger nearby.

This issue is particularly important because of the links between air pollution and COVID-19 mortality and the ruling in the recent Ella Kissi-Debrah inquest, that air pollution contributed to the nine-year old's death.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is associated with lung inflammation and can trigger asthma symptoms from short-term exposure, while long-term exposure to higher concentrations of NO2 can impair lung development in children and can contribute to serious conditions such as asthma and heart and lung disease, as presented in reports from Public Heath England and the World Health Organization.

Residents are able support our campaign by downloading various resources, which can be found to the right of this page.

What is idling?

Idling is where drivers leave their vehicle's engine running whilst the vehicle is stationary.

Reasons to avoid idling

Why you should stop idling:

• idling creates air pollution and is often unnecessary. Car idling produces up to 150 balloons of exhaust emissions per minute which contains harmful chemicals like cyanide, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and tiny particles called PM2.5
• the air pollution created by engine emissions is known to contribute to many health issues, including asthma, lung disease, heart attacks and cancer. The Royal College of Physicians say 40,000 premature deaths a year are linked to air pollution, with car idling being a contributing factor. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable, as are people with existing conditions such as asthma and other lung complaints

Idling and pollution

An idling engine burns fuel less efficiently than when the vehicle is moving and so produces more emissions than when travelling. Additionally, the toxic gases produced by idling are all emitted in the same place, so localised air pollution is higher. This is particularly important near schools because research shows that exposing children to high levels of air pollution can stunt lung growth, as well as causing behavioural and mental health problems.

What we are doing 

We are working to tackle the issue of idling in a number of ways

These include:

• launching a poster campaign to encourage drivers at idling hotspots to turn their engine off
• encouraging a behavioural change through social media messaging
• working with community groups to help spread the message that idling is damaging to the environment
• working with partner agencies to get their support in reducing idling in Spelthorne
• reducing the impact of the council fleet. The Council is aware of the need to reduce its own impact in the environment and has started to move to electric vehicles

How you can help 

We need your help and there are several ways that you can do this:

Anti-idling

We are asking drivers to switch off engines when their vehicle is parked for more than 1 minute. This does not apply if you are stopped at traffic lights or a pedestrian crossing of any kind, or if your vehicle has broken down and it is necessary to run the engine to fix the problem.

Examples of when the anti-idling rules do apply are:

• when your car is stationary at the side of the road but is not sitting in traffic
• when you are waiting at a railway level crossing
• when you have stopped outside a school or business

We are also asking residents to download our posters and resources and share them within their communities.

Reduce your use of polluting vehicles

There are lots of ways to do this, including:

• cut down your use of motorised vehicles. Not only will this reduce the pollution that you create but it will also protect you from pollution. Research has shown that drivers and passengers inside cars are more at risk than cyclists and pedestrians, even on busy roads, as they are closer to the exhaust of the car in front
• change your vehicle to a more environmentally friendly option. This could be buying a newer model with a smaller engine and/or higher EU emissions standard, or moving to a greener engine type, ideally fully electric. Using an electric vehicle not only helps the environment, it can also save you money with significantly lower fuel costs and free parking in the borough
• travel by bike
• use more public transport
• choose to walk. Plan low pollution or scenic routes
• consider what your business can do to reduce its air pollution impact. In doing so you could promote a more active lifestyle for employees, lower absentee rate and potentially save money

Idling myths and truths

Myth 1:

• If it's cold outside, I need to keep my engine running to keep the heater on
• Truth: If you switch the engine off but keep the ignition on, the heater should stay warm for up to 30 minutes

Myth 2: 

• If parked on a yellow line, keeping my engine running means I won't get a parking fine
• Truth: Traffic wardens can fine you for parking somewhere illegally, whether your engine is running or not

Myth 3:

• Isn't it better to idle because stopping and starting the engine will wear it out?
• Truth: No, because this is no longer true for modern engines

Myth 4:

• Surely idling doesn't contribute very much to air pollution in the grand scheme of things?
• Truth: Research has shown that switching off engines when parked can reduce air pollution levels in the street where the vehicles are parked