Published: Wednesday 3 November 2021
You can help improve air quality by switching off your vehicle engine to tackle pollution, as council, gets behind Idling Action London’s Engines Off Every Stop campaign.
A campaign by Idling Action London is encouraging drivers to switch off their engines and avoid engine idling to help improve air quality.
Engines Off Every Stop is making the unseen dangers of engine idling visible, using social media, billboards, and radio advertising to demonstrate the tangible effects of poor air quality in London.
In Kensington and Chelsea, there are 3,095 additional cardio-respiratory admissions every year as a result of poor air quality, costing the health and social care system £.3.5 million. Since 2019, enforcement officers have had powers to enforce against drivers idling in the borough. In the last year, 706 drivers have switched off their engines or moved on as a result of speaking with Council enforcement officers.
Cllr Johnny Thalassites, Lead Member for Environment, Planning and Place, said:
“We’ve introduced nine school streets, limiting vehicle traffic around schools at drop off and pick up times to improve the air quality for children and parents walking to and from school.
“Idling for just 30 seconds produces twice as much pollution and wastes more fuel than switching off and restarting an engine, so switching off your engine does make a difference to the air, and your wallet. We’ve managed to get 706 drivers to stop idling when caught in the act this year.”
Some 420 litres of exhaust fumes are released per minute of idling for a single small van or family size car, which can contribute to raising NO2 levels in a street to dangerous levels.
Idling Action London offers education and targeted behaviour change interventions for schools, businesses, local authorities, hospitals, and other organisations. In Kensington and Chelsea, our own staff have taken anti-idling training and workshops have been delivered in schools educating children about air pollution and how to reduce emissions and exposure.
Find out more about our school streets and our Green Plan, which sets ambitions to reduce air pollution and tackle climate change.