Engines left on while a vehicle is stationary produce around 150 balloons of exhaust emissions per minute – more for larger vehicles like SUVs. This exhaust contains not just CO2 but also cyanide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulates, and other pollutants which are particularly damaging to health, affecting every cell in the body and even unborn babies.
These emissions are generally at the perfect height to be breathed in by children, especially those in prams - and idling hotspots often include schools, town centre car parks and other areas with particularly vulnerable populations. Air pollution already causes 40,000-60,000 premature deaths in the UK per year, not including causing and worsening many other health problems.
In addition to the health impacts of idling, the average driver spends hundreds of pounds more on fuel per year by idling. The environmental impact of idling is also well documented, generating hundreds of thousands of tonnes of unnecessary and easily avoidable emissions per year across the UK.
Idling is already banned under Road Traffic Regulations/The Highway Code - however, Surrey County Council has deemed it 'not a priority for the county', despite the enormous health, environmental and cost impacts to Surrey residents.
We the undersigned therefore call on the council to enforce existing anti-idling legislation. It can do this by directing its Enforcement Officers to approach idling drivers and ask them to turn engines off when unnecessary, and enabling them to give fixed penalty notices for drivers who refuse to do so after clear warnings (as many other councils in the UK have done, leading to significant reductions in idling). The council should also actively work with local councils to support, fund and implement anti-idling campaigns and measures locally.
Started by: S P
This ePetition runs from 06/11/2023 to 06/05/2024.
197 people have signed this ePetition.