Mayor Steve Ferguson has proclaimed August 23-29, 2021 “Idle-Free Week” in Prince Edward County.
“I urge all resident and visitors to our municipality to learn about the harmful effects of idling, discover the benefits of turning off your vehicle
, and join millions of Ontarians by following the advice of Natural Resources Canada in turning off your engine when stopped for 60 seconds or more,” said Mayor Ferguson in the proclamation.
The County has joined more than 50 Ontario municipalities in adopting an Idling Control By-Law to limit unnecessary vehicle idling. The municipality is engaging residents and visitors to educate and start a conversation around idling behaviour in our community.
Idling happens when a vehicle or boat engine is left running unnecessarily while the vehicle is not in motion. Idling contributes to climate change through the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and also contributes emissions that are harmful to human health.
When motorists turn off their vehicles, they save money. For every 10 minutes of idling, a vehicle wastes more than a cup of gasoline. This number is doubled if the idled vehicle is a truck with a 5 litre engine. Contrary to popular belief, turning your vehicle off uses less gas than an idling engine, and the fuel savings outweigh the potential maintenance costs associated with restarting the engine. The advice from Natural Resources Canada is to turn the engine off if you anticipate idling for 60 seconds or more.
More information about idling, its harmful effects and the benefits of turning your engine off can be found on The County’s newly created Sustainability Corner on Have Your Say. The public is invited to take an idling quiz and contribute to the conversation about unnecessary idling in our community. Public feedback will help to shape future anti-idling events and campaigns.
The County’s Idling Control By-Law and the related Idle-Free Week campaign is just one tool the municipality is using to respond to the climate emergency declared by Council in 2019. The by-law limits the amount of time a vehicle can idle to three minutes, with some exceptions. By-law officers may issue fines of up to $200 to motorists and boaters who leave their engines idling unnecessarily.
For more information, contact the County of Prince Edward at 613.476.2148 ext. 1023, 613.962.9108 ext. 1023, or info@pecounty.on.ca.