Today, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) launches the Turn Your Engine Off campaign to educate truck and bus drivers about the financial and environmental benefits of reducing idling in their vehicles.
During the education campaign, COG and its partner agencies encourage drivers to turn off their engines to avoid costly fines, save money, curb diesel emissions, and improve public health.
“This summer, there’s been increased attention to air quality across our region and nation, so this is the right time to call attention to simple steps that can be taken to reduce pollution, like reminding people to turn their engines off instead of idling them,” said Jennifer Desimone, the air program chief at COG. “Many drivers, especially those from outside of our region, may not be aware of local regulations on idling, not to mention the significant impact their actions can have on our environment and health.”
The campaign is running for three weeks in August as part of COG’s Clean Air Partners’ Ozone Action Month when officials promote efforts to reduce ozone smog, which is at its worst during hot summer months. The D.C. region has already reported 17 Code Orange unhealthy air days compared to only four for all of 2022. The region has also experienced three Code Red unhealthy air days so far this year due to smoke from wildfires in Canada.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, reducing unnecessary idling by a typical long-haul combination truck would remove about 9 metric tons of carbon dioxide, as well as other pollutants that produce unhealthy air.
In the metropolitan Washington region, there are idling laws for each jurisdiction: in Washington, D.C., the fine is $1,000 if your engine idles for more than 3 minutes; in Maryland, the fine is $500 if your engine idles for more than 5 minutes; and in Virginia, the fine is up to $25,000 if your engine idles for more than 10 minutes.
To learn more about these laws and the broader campaign, please visit: TurnYourEngineOff.org
For media interested in campaign locations/dates and coordinating with an outreach team, please contact COG’s communications staff.