This winter, Green Newton School Connections and Newton Safe Routes to School are joining forces to remind drivers to turn off their engines if they are pulled over and stopping for more than 10 seconds, especially at schools, playing fields, and other areas where children may be present.
Four Reasons to Stop Idling:
It Helps People. Breathing exhaust fumes is linked to increases in asthma, allergies, heart and lung disease, and cancer. Children are especially vulnerable.
It helps the planet. Personal-vehicle idling wastes about 3 billion gallons of fuel annually in the U.S., generating around 30 million tons of CO2.
It’s Better for Your Car. Idling can damage engine components by causing fuel residue to build up on cylinder walls.
It’s the Law. It’s illegal to idle in Massachusetts, under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90 § 16A, 16B.
Learn more and join the movement at idlefreenewton.org.
