City: Don’t Leave Your Car Idling in Medford

The city’s Energy Committee has launched a campaign urging Medford residents not to idle their vehicles.

Here are the committee’s main bullet points:

1.) Vehicle emissions, including carbon monoxide and particulates, contribute to a number of health issues such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, heart disease, respiratory infections and cancer.

2.) Idling wastes gas and money. Idling just 10 minutes a day would cost over $300 a year based on current gas prices and can add several hundred dollars per year to maintenance costs because of increased wear and tear.

3.) It’s illegal to idle your car for more than 5 minutes in Massachusetts (MGL Chaper 90, Section 16A). The law applies to gasoline and diesel powered vehicles.

More from the city on the dangers of ilding >>