
If you are going to idle your vehicle for more than 10 seconds – turn it off!
You’ll save money and also help the environment. Are you surprised? Please read more.
What is idling?
An idling vehicle is one whose engine is running while it is parked or not in use. Because today’s car ignition systems are so efficient, restarting an engine uses very little gas. Specifically, 10 seconds or more of idling wastes more fuel than restarting. An exception to the 10 second rule is that engines need 30 seconds to warm up in cold weather. As we move into the warmer spring weather, this will be less of an issue.
How much can actually be saved by reducing or eliminating unnecessary idling? The average American driver spends more than 16 minutes a day idling their vehicle. By eliminating 16 minutes of voluntary idling per day, you can save in gas and money. See below.
Engine Size | Gas Saved | CO2 Saved | Money Saved |
Four Cylinder | 32 gallons | 704 tons | $116 (a) |
Eight Cylinder | 64 gallons | 1408 tons | $233 (a) |
(a) Gas~$3.63/gallon
It is estimated that 3.8 million gallons of fuel is wasted every day by idling. This is enough to fill five Olympic-sized pools! This is also equal to 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide and $13,444,400 every day. By not idling vehicles, the U.S. could reduce oil imports by 200,000 barrels a day.
Some of the most common places people idle their vehicles include: fast food drive-thrus, driveways, banks, car washes, schools, trains, malls and bridges. So don’t wait any longer, stop idling now! For more information on how to be idle-free, please visit www.iturnitoff.com
Reference: http://www.upworthy.com/every-day-people-spend-16-minutes-doing-this-thing-they-think-is-good-for-the-planet-it-aint-2