Best practice in long queue of traffic

[naggingwife]

When in long queue, several minutes between each moving on, is it best to keep the car idling, or switch engine off and on?

[helpmetoo]

you are in a car because you choose to drive a motor vehicle and accept all the implications regarding cost, environment etc,

like an aeroplane and most machinery cars are best when kept running,

if you are worried about the tree huggers, when in a long queue as described why not do a bit of keep fit as well and get out and push?

[jake-the-peg]

It will depend on how long you are going to be stationary for. And that time is likely to depend on the car you are driving.

But considering how slowly the engine is turning over it's probably the equivilent an indistinguishably tiny fraction of the fuel you'll use on the journey.

So on a motorway it hardly matters, in a built up area where the issue is more pollution than fuel consumption then it might be worth doing

[daniela31]

Isn't there a law going to be passed about switching the engine off when in a traffic jam?

[chas2008]

this has been covered on a number of occasions, so many different ideas about it.

Whatever anyone else says there are production vehicles now that turn of when idling, and start again when you depress the clutch, the manufactures wouldnt get involved or spend the money on this technology if they didnt think it wouldnt be of benefit.

[TWR]

This action is good!! that is if you have a good battery,

[Toureman]

As TWR said, Switch it off !

It is illegal in some European countries to let your engine tick over for long periods.

[kempie]

"law going to be passed" ???

The provision to control stationary vehicles with idling engines has existed since The Environment Act 1995 and fixed penalties for the offence introduced in 2002 (England & Wales) and 2003 in Scotland.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/20021808.htm

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/wales/wsi20 03/20030300e.htm

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ss i2003/20030212.htm

[Toureman]

Thanks for those links Kempie, how many mototists are aware of that?

[sigma]

Next time I'm stuck in traffic on the motorway I must remember to keep an eye open for traffic wardens or police walking the line issuing tickets. Yet another example of a impractical and virtually unenforceable law.

[Tom Braider]

Stopping of engine when vehicle stationary
12. - (1) An authorised person who has reasonable cause to believe that the driver of a vehicle that is stationary on a road is committing a stationary idling offence may, upon production of evidence of his authorisation, require him to stop the running of the engine of that vehicle.

(2) A person who fails to comply with a requirement under paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

Issue of fixed penalty notice: stationary idling offence
13. An authorised person who considers that a stationary idling offence has been committed may, in accordance with Part 7, issue a fixed penalty notice to the driver of the vehicle.

What bothers me is the absence of any definition of "stationary idling offence". For fuel economy, I understood it was best to turn off your engine if you're going to be stopped for more than 2 minutes. But it seems you can get a ticket on a whim. This is typical of many regulations nowadays; you don't know you've broken them until you've been penalised.

[helpmetoo]

stop the engine?, i dont think so....the airconditioning would stop as well,

we pay a great deal of taxes and duty on petrol etc, i expect to be able to consume the product,

stopping and starting would wear out very quickly a starter motor........so how much energy is used and co2 emitted making one of those?