Anti-Idling
Idling occurs when a vehicle (car, boat, etc.) with a diesel or gasoline engine is running but the vehicle in not in motion.
Vehicle idling results in emissions of carbon dioxide, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxide - all pollutants that harm the environment. Additionally, idling represents a significant health issue for children and people with existing respiratory issues like bronchitis, asthma, and emphysema. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one reason why children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution is that they breathe more rapidly than adults and so absorb more pollutants.
Want to Learn More?
Check out our fact sheet to learn more about the anti-idling regulation and its applicability.
Diesel Idle Reduction Requirement
Diesel motor vehicles may not idle unnecessarily for longer than five consecutive minutes during any 60-minute period. This includes heavy-duty diesel vehicles used to perform any state public works contracts. Unnecessary idling does not include circumstances exempted by law and regulations the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has adopted, such as when it is necessary to operate heating and cooling equipment to ensure the health or safety of drivers and passengers.
Other vehicles exempt from these requirements include, but are not limited to, the following: 1) emergency response, public safety, or military vehicles; 2) armored vehicles being loaded or unloaded; 3) non-road vehicles; and 4) vehicles making deliveries of fuel or energy products.
Violators of these regulations can be fined up to $100 for the first offense and up to $500 for each succeeding offense. (Reference Rhode Island General Laws 23-23-29.2 and 31-16.1)
- The purpose of this requirement is to prevent unnecessary idling, conserve fuel, and reduce exposures to toxic vehicle exhaust.
- Rhode Island incorporated this under its Air Pollution Control Regulation 250-RICR-120-05-45.
Myth vs. Fact
Many people think that you should idle to warm your engine. Others will tell you that starting the engine uses more fuel than idling it. The truth is there are a lot of myths about idling. While some of these myths used to be true, advances in engine technology have made idling unnecessary.
Myth: Idling is good for your engine.
Fact: Excessive idling can actually damage your engine components, including cylinders, spark plugs and exhaust systems. Fuel is only partially combusted when idling because the engine does not operate at peak temperature. This leads to the buildup of fuel residues on cylinder walls that can damage engine components and lower mileage.
Myth: Each time you start a vehicle you waste more fuel than if you let it idle.
Fact: Engines don’t operate efficiently when they idle. Experts say that the break-even point is 10 seconds. Idling longer than 10 seconds, wastes more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it.
Myth: The engine should be warmed up before driving, especially on cold days.
Fact: Modern gasoline engines don’t need more than a few seconds to “warm-up” before they can be driven safely. In fact, the best way to warm up a vehicle is to drive it, since that warms up the catalytic converter and other mechanical parts, in addition to the engine. Modern diesel engines require no more than 3 minutes of warming.
For more information, contact Michala Zien at (401) 537-4379