Leaving The Engine On In Parked Cars could Soon Be Illegal

LOS ANGELES, CA — Drivers who let their parked car idle could soon find themselves in trouble in Los Angeles.

City Councilman Paul Koretz introduced a proposal Wednesday to make it illegal to leave a car's engine while it's parked. Under the proposal, cars parked for more than two minutes must have their engine's turned off. The ban is aimed and reducing carbon emissions, and it would follow in the footsteps of eight states that cracked down on idling vehicles. The U.S. Department of Energyestimates the ban would have the same impact as taking 5 million vehicles off the road nationally, according to Koretz's office.

"Idling in traffic or very low-speed driving -- and the consequent increases in emissions -- have been exacerbated by increases in traffic congestion, and efforts to alleviate them must continue," Koretz wrote in a motion proposing the ordinance. "However, parked vehicle idling is an unnecessary and inefficient habit that increases air and climate pollution, increases consumption and demand for harmful fossil fuels and also wastes money."

The motion asks the city attorney to draft an ordinance barring vehicles from idling when parked for more than one or two minutes.

As part of the motion, Koretz noted that Los Angeles was ranked the most ozone-polluted metropolis in the United States by the American Lung Association in its 2019 State of the Air report.

The motion was referred to the council's Transportation Committee for further review.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.