Limit air pollution: Avoid idling

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How idling harms people and the environment

Running our vehicle’s engine when the vehicle is not moving — idling — creates unnecessary air pollution. This pollution can harm our health and environment.

There are many things we can do to limit idling and reduce the emissions coming from our vehicle.

Understanding idling

Idling is when a vehicle’s engine is running but the vehicle is not moving.

There are some types of idling that we cannot avoid — such as waiting at a red light or being stuck in traffic.

There are types of idling that we can avoid — such as when we are waiting for someone at a store. We should shut off our vehicles to avoid this type of idling, because it creates unnecessary pollution that harms us and our families. Idling contributes to air pollution and is, with some exceptions, illegal in New York state and New York City.

Being more aware of idling can help you notice when you are idling your engine unnecessarily — or when other people are. Whether it’s your car or someone else’s vehicle, you can reduce the harms of idling to yourself and other New Yorkers.

How idling harms people and the environment

An idling vehicle releases more pollutants than a moving vehicle does. These pollutants often include toxic substances like soot, smog, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and various other chemicals. Emissions from idling vehicles increase the amount of air pollutants that cause or worsen health issues, such as asthma, heart disease, or cancer.

People who work, live, or play near idling vehicles breathe in greater amounts of these pollutants. Vulnerable individuals like young children, older adults, and people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma, are in even more danger.

Idling pollutes more than driving does

Idling vehicles can cause more pollution than moving vehicles for a couple of reasons:

When a vehicle is moving, its engine is running at a higher temperature, so it burns fuel more efficiently. In contrast, when a vehicle is idling, the engine is running at a lower temperature, so it burns fuel less efficiently and releases more pollutants.
When a vehicle idles, its pollutant-trapping equipment does not work as efficiently. So, idling vehicles release more pollutants than moving vehicles.

We can help save fuel and the environment by idling less:

Idling trucks, buses, and passenger vehicles waste about six billion gallons of fuel per year. About half of this comes from personal vehicles.
By reducing unneeded idling in the U.S., we can stop the release of around 30 million tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide each year.

Together, smog and soot cause roughly 2,400 deaths per year in New York City alone (NYC Environment & Health Data Portal)

Smog threatens our health and the environment

Smog is a kind of dense air pollution that usually contains nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxide, ozone, smoke, and other types of particles. Some regions of New York consistently experience high levels of smog. Vehicle emissions contribute to the formation of smog, particularly by creating ground-level ozone, which reacts with sunlight to produce smog. At ground level, ozone is a harmful air pollutant.

Ground-level ozone is very different from stratospheric ozone (also known as the ozone layer), which forms naturally miles above ground level and protects us from UV radiation.

Smog is a dangerous for many reasons.

Smog is especially harmful to children, older adults, people with respiratory issues, and people who spend a lot of time outdoors. The ozone component of smog reacts with the lining of the small airways in the respiratory system, causing inflammation, oxidative stress and subsequent tissue damage.
Smog hurts plants that absorb greenhouse gases, produce oxygen, and otherwise protect our environment.
Smog can decrease yields of crops, including corn and soybeans, which farmers rely on for their livelihood.

To see a map of air quality, including concentrations of ground-level ozone, you can use tools like this graphic that shows real-time monitoring of air quality from IQAir, an outside company.

Soot particles pollute our air

When a vehicle does not burn its fuel efficiently, it produces tiny particles of carbon, called soot. These particles may contain cancer-causing substances. Vehicles release more soot when they idle because the fuel is not burned efficiently. Soot is harmful to human health and the environment:

These tiny particles can enter your lungs and bloodstream and increase your risk of cancer and lung and heart disease.
Soot contributes to haze in the air and damages historic buildings and monuments.
Soot combines with other vehicle pollutants and contributes to acid rain, which harms fish and other aquatic animals and damages forests.

Vehicle pollution contributes to the adverse effects of climate change

Pollutants from idling vehicles contribute significantly to climate change. Some effects of climate change we experience in New York include more frequent and stronger rainfalls, increased flooding, and hotter temperatures. This extreme weather endangers our lives and well-being in many ways, including:

damaging our homes and office buildings
destroying infrastructure, like roads
shutting down subways, buses, and trains
putting vulnerable people at higher risk of heat-related illnesses
endangering farmers’ ability to grow and distribute food and other agricultural products

Transportation makes up 28 percent of the U.S.’s climate-change pollution emissions. Gas- and diesel-powered cars, trucks, and buses account for 80 percent of transportation-related emissions.

Transportation makes up approximately 28 percent of the U.S.’s climate-change pollution emissions according to the 2022, EPA Fast Facts on Transportation GHG Emissions. Gas- and diesel-powered cars, trucks, and buses account for approximately 80 percent of transportation-related emissions.

Reducing unnecessary idling

A lot of us drive or ride in vehicles that idle, including personal cars and taxis, because it’s more convenient, or because we think it’s better for the vehicle. But much of this idling is unnecessary.

Going to be a while? Turn off your engine!

Sometimes we must sit in traffic, wait at a stoplight, or run the engine for maintenance. But many times, we keep our engine on out of convenience — such as when we are:

in the pick-up or drop-off line at school
waiting on the street for someone
running into a store for a quick errand
stopping to chat with someone
starting our car before we get in

This is bad for our health, the health of those around us, the environment, and our vehicle.

In addition, you can be fined if you violate idling regulations.

Trucks and buses are not an exception

Sometimes commercial vehicles, like trucks and buses, must idle to power equipment or to stay at a safe temperature for the driver or passengers. But, in many situations, buses and trucks idle unnecessarily, which is illegal in both New York state and New York City.

Regulations, exceptions, penalties, and reporting

New York state and New York City have regulations against unnecessary idling:

New York state regulations apply to trucks and buses.
New York City regulations apply to trucks, buses, and passenger vehicles — which include personal cars, taxis, and police cruisers.

Learn more in the following sections about the regulations and how to report violations.

New York state: Environmental Conservation Law (penalties: $500 to $18,000 per violation)

Heavy-duty trucks and buses may not idle for more than five consecutive minutes except when any of the following is true:

The engine is powering an auxiliary function, such as loading or unloading cargo, mixing concrete, refrigeration, or similar functions.
Running the engine is required for maintenance.
A heavy-duty diesel vehicle is undergoing a state emissions inspection.
A vehicle is performing emergency services, such as fire, police, utility, or similar services.
A vehicle is forced to be motionless because traffic does not allow it to move.
A vehicle is powered by electricity.
A heavy-duty vehicle is used for agricultural purposes on a farm.
A diesel-fueled truck must remain motionless for more than two hours with an outside temperature continuously below 25 F.
A hybrid electric vehicle is idling to recharge.
A vehicle must idle to keep a temperature required by law for the well-being of its passengers.
A truck is being used for private mining.

How to report violations in New York state

Contact the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) at 1-844-332-3267, or directly report a violation to your environmental conservation officer. Use DEC’s site to look up your nearest officer.

New York City: City regulations (penalties: $350 to $2,000 per violation)

In New York City, passenger and commercial vehicles (including trucks and buses) may not idle for more than three consecutive minutes or for more than one minute in front of a school, except when any of the following is true:

The engine is powering a loading, unloading, or processing device.
The vehicle is a legally authorized emergency vehicle.
The vehicle has the capacity for more than 15 passengers and the outside temperature is under 40 F.

How to report violations in New York City

311 portal: Call or text 311 by phone or fill out an online form to report any violating vehicle.
New York City Citizens Air Complaint Program: New York City residents can report trucks and buses only (not personal vehicles) that are idling when one of the listed exceptions does not apply. You can create an account, file and track a complaint, and possibly receive a reward of 25 percent of the vehicle’s fine (the reward can range from $87.50 to $500). You must submit a video with relevant information and evidence of idling. For more specifics, visit the Citizens Air Complaint page at New York City Department of Environmental Protection.

Summary of state versus city regulations

	New York state	New York City
Vehicles regulated	truck and buses	all vehicles
Maximum allowed to idle	five minutes	three minutes, or one minute in front of a school
Penalties	$500 - $18,000	$350 - $2,000
Exceptions include but are not limited to:	when the engine is powering another function emergency services electric vehicles hybrid electric vehicles idling to recharge	when the engine is powering another function emergency services when the vehicle has the capacity for over 15 passengers and temperature is under 40 F
Report a violation:	Contact NYSDEC at 1-844-332-3267 or contact your local Environmental Conservation Officer (look up your nearest officer on DEC'A site).	Contact 311 by phone or file an online complaint with DEC. You can also participate in the Citizens Air Complaint Program through New York City’s Department Environmental Protection.

Myths about idling

Cars used to rely on carburetors to deliver fuel to a vehicle’s engine. A car with a carburetor does have to idle to warm up. But, in the 1980s and 1990s, car companies shifted to electronic fuel-injection systems. Cars with fuel-injection systems do not need to warm up by idling. So today the best way to warm up the engine is to drive gently for 30 seconds.

Idling for longer than 10 seconds uses more fuel than turning off and restarting the engine.

In addition, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, here is how much fuel a vehicle wastes for one hour of idling:

smaller passenger vehicles: about 1/3 gallon
larger passenger vehicles, like minivans: about 3/4 gallon

Idling harms your engine and your car. Your vehicle does not run at peak operating temperature while idling and does not burn fuel as cleanly. As a result, fuel residues build up on the car’s cylinder walls, which damage your car by:

degrading lubricating motor oil
damaging engine components

In addition, idling lowers your car’s fuel efficiency.

Modern trucks do not need to idle for a long time to keep their engine or fuel warm. Nearly all modern trucks, including ones that are powered by diesel, use fuel-injection systems. This means engines are fully lubricated in less than a minute, even in cold conditions.