By Michael MacDonald
WOODSTOCK - It is undeniably cold this time of year. Many Canadians often idle their vehicles in the morning and throughout the day to ward off the freezing temperatures. The benefits of being warm do not always outweigh the costs.
“Getting high efficiency out of your car is decreased every time you allow your car to idle. Some people will say turning your car back on will use more gas. Ten seconds of idling uses more gas than turning your car back on,” said Aynslie Croney, Assistant to the Department Heads at NBCC Woodstock.
Croney is also a Green Committee member at the college. She is helping to promote reducing idle times.
There are many misconceptions about idling. Natural Resources Canada says that idling your vehicle in cold weather is not an effective way to warm it. The most effective method is driving. This helps warm the bearings, steering, suspension, transmission and tires.
Also, fuel consumption is increased depending on the amount of time spent idling before driving.
“The test results showed that with a 5-minute warm-up total fuel consumption increased by 7 to 14 percent and with a 10-minute warm-up total fuel consumption increased by 12 to 19 percent,” according to a study Environment Canada conducted in April of 2008. A cold chamber was used to simulate an urban driving cycle.
“Especially going through Tim Hortons, you’re idling there for a good 5 minutes," said Roger Britton, a student and car owner. He said it is a problem for the environment that people idle so much, and knows it is using a lot of fuel.
Green Venture is a community-based non-profit organization committed to sustainability. They said a recent study suggests “Canadians voluntarily idle their vehicles for a combined total of more than 75 million minutes a day. This is equivalent to one vehicle idling for 144 years."
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