Air quality is an increasing environmental health concern in central Alberta. Vehicle emissions contain contaminants that are harmful to the environment and our health. Eliminating unnecessary vehicle idling is an easy way to reduce air pollution.
Warming up or cooling down a vehicle is the most common reason given for idling. Canadians also idle their vehicles when waiting for passengers, stopped at railway crossings and running errands.
Individual actions, when taken by millions of Canadians, make a difference. Don’t wait – launching your own personal idling campaign is as easy as turning off your engine.
Learn more at NRCan’s Idle Free Zone.
Be Air Smart & Idle Free in 5 Easy Steps
Turn off the engine if the vehicle is going to be parked for more than 60 seconds (except in traffic.)
Drive the vehicle to warm it up, rather than idling the engine (usually no more than two to three minutes of idling is needed on cold winter days.)
Use remote car starters wisely to avoid excessively long warm-ups.
Use a block heater on cold winter days to warm the engine before starting it (ideally, the block heater should be turned on by an automatic timer 2 hours before leaving).
Spread the word to your family and friends. Telling them about the benefits of reduced idling will help them save money and help protect the environment too.
Idle Free Toolkit
Municipalities are well positioned to tackle air pollution and to demonstrate leadership in this area. Through the establishment of their own policies and practices and through the careful development of targeted awareness campaigns, municipalities can be the drivers of change to improve air quality.
Download the Idle Free Toolkit today and see what you can do to help your community address unnecessary vehicle idling.
Additional Resources
A1. Idling Reduction Strategy – Town of Olds
A2. Report to Town Council , Dec 8, 2014 – Town of Sylvan Lake
A3. NRCan Objectives Planning Worksheet
A4. Example Terms of Reference – Lacombe County
A5. MOU Idle Reduction Committee – Lacombe Count/PAMZ
A6 . MOU Idle Reduction Committee – Sylvan Lake/PAMZ
A7. Partnership Agreement – Clean Air Day
A8. SWOT Analysis
B1. Vehicle Idling Fact Sheet #1 – PAMZ Idle Free
B2. Vehicle Idling Fact Sheet #2 – Lacombe County
B3. Idle Free Poster – Town of Olds
B4. Idle Free Brochure – Town of Olds
B5. Idle Free Decal – City of Red Deer
B6. Idle Free Sign – City of Red Deer
B7. Positive Intervention Model
B8. Positive Intervention Form
B9. Breathe Easy Fact Sheet – Town of Sylvan Lake
B10. Breathe Easy Poster – Town of Sylvan Lake
E1. Survey – Town of Sylvan Lake
E2. Pre-survey notice to residents – Town of Sylvan Lake
E3. Results Post-Survey – Town of Sylvan Lake
E5. Survey Costs – Banister for Lacombe County
E6. Pre-Survey Results – Lacombe County
E7. Post-survey Results – Lacombe County
E8. Idling Observation Forms – Lacombe County
E9. Idling Observation Data – Lacombe County
G1. Lacombe County Idle Reduction Action Committee
G2. Convening Meeting of the Town of Sylvan Lake Idle Reduction Committee
G3. Lacombe County Vehicle Emissions Testing Clinic (LCVETC)
G4. Analyzer wand testing exhaust (LCVETC)
G5. Volunteer Testing Vehicle Exhaust (LCVETC)
G6. Volunteer collecting vehicle operator information (LCVETC)
G7. Volunteers discussing and gathering information (LCVETC)
G8. Collecting forms on driver information and vehicle emissions analysis (LCVETC)
G9. Emissions analyzer (LCVETC)
G10. Computer collecting data (LCVETC)
G11. Participants making their pledge for Idle Reduction – Lacombe County
