Everywhere I go, I see people idling in their vehicles for long periods of time while looking at their phone — even on mild, comfortable sunny days. Today I saw a driver idling his car right beside a sign that read: “Waiting? Turn Off Your Engine.”

Drivers are obviously not making the connection between idling their vehicle and poor air quality which also results in poor health. Unfortunately, the air quality in Canada is getting worse instead of better.

I was surprised to discover the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Peterborough had risen to three recently, which is unusually high for this time of year. An air quality index of three means higher concentrations of pollutants (PM2.5, N02, ground-level ozone) are present. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern.

Based on recent available reports, while awareness of vehicle idling has increased, and many individual drivers are making better choices, significant, habitual idling persists, particularly in winter.

Studies have shown that Canadian motorists still idle their vehicles for an average of five to 10 minutes a day, while it only takes 30 seconds to circulate oil before driving — even in cold weather. During peak winter, Canadians have been estimated to idle their vehicles for a combined total of more than 75 million minutes a day.

Despite advancements in technology making long-warm-ups unnecessary, many drivers still believe extensive idling is necessary, particularly in cold weather. Unfortunately, the persistent and worsening of idling vehicles is creating unhealthy air quality — not just in Peterborough, but throughout Canada.

One of the reasons idling is increasing in Canada is because there are not enough bylaw enforcement officers everywhere to issue tickets. However, there are more important reasons than tickets for not idling for extended periods of time. Here’s what Canadian drivers need to know:

Best Method: Drive gently for the first few minutes rather than letting the car sit and idle

Environmental Impact: Idling produces unnecessary air pollution contributing to smog and greenhouse gas emissions

Health Hazards: Health Canada has estimated that air pollution, caused by vehicle emissions, contributes to thousands of premature deaths in Canada annually. Epidemiological and clinical studies have confirmed the link between air pollution and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Both short and long-term exposure to air pollution has a negative effect on the occurrence and development of COPD. Lung cancer and COPD are increasing in Canada — even in non-smokers and people who have never smoked

Fuel Waste: A 10-minute daily idle can waste an average of 100 litres of fuel per year. Research indicates that some commercial truck fleet operators may have vehicles that idle up to 65 per cent of the time, leading to significant, unnecessary fuel consumption

Cold Weather Advice: Natural Resources Canada (NRC) advises that in temperatures above -15 C, no more than 30 seconds to a minute of idling is needed to warm the engine and the vehicle

Municipal Bylaws: Many Canadian cities, including Toronto and Ottawa have implemented strict anti-idling bylaws, often limiting idling to one minute

Cost and Pollution: If every Canadian driver reduced their daily idling by three minutes, it could prevent 1.4 million tonnes of C02 emissions annually, saving over 600 million litres of fuel

Environmental Impact: Idling produces greenhouse gases that significantly contribute to climate change, poor air quality and respiratory illnesses. Idling combined with wildfire smoke will create more health problems for Canadians

Idle-Free Efforts: NRC recommends turning off the engine if you are stopped for more than 60 seconds (unless in traffic), utilizing a block heater on cold days and driving gently to warm up the engine rather than letting it sit

If Peterborough’s Air Quality Health Index is poor now, what’s it going to be like in the summer when drivers are idling for long periods of time with their A/C on?

Electric vehicles (EVs) produce zero tailpipe emissions, which significantly improve local air quality compared to gas-powered cars. While manufacturing batteries creates higher initial emissions, EVs have a lower total lifetime carbon footprint, especially as electricity grids shift to renewable energy.

© Peterborough Examiner