Car Idle Laws - Has Canada Gone Mad?Here's the deal. Tree huggers in Canada are huffy puffy over people allowing their cars to idle as they warm up. As a result, they have taken a great deal of time, and donated a great deal of financial resources towards the goal of making it illegal to let your car... idle. Their claim is that the excessive idle time of running cars is: Wasting fuel and money, affecting air quality and health, harming engines, and causing the climate to change due to the Green House effect.
Furthermore, the Canadian government has spotted their opportunity to collect some extra tax dollars at the expense of the common citizen. Many parts of Canada now have enforceable laws to prevent the act of idling. They are being enforced by fines ranging from $100 to nearly $400.
| The Canadian government takes the position of wanting cleaner air, and healthier citizens - but I am here to tell you that all they want is money.
The OEE, or Office of Energy Efficiency makes hundreds of laughable claims on their website. The following is a direct quote:
"First, since an idling engine is not operating at its peak temperature, fuel combustion is incomplete.
As a result, fuel residues can condense on cylinder walls, contaminate oil and damage engine components."
While this may be true to some extent, their tricky wording over-exaggerates any adverse affects of allowing your engine to idle. One particular such statement the OEE makes to scare people is, "Idling Is Not Good for Your Engine." Well folks... if you want to get technical - neither is driving... If you really wanted to make an argument FOR idling, you could say that it is BETTER for your engine, as it allows your motor to reach normal operational temperatures at a slower rate of speed, reducing the stress on all internal engine parts from hasty heat cycling. What about forced induction automobiles?!! Many have factory turbo timers built in that allow the car to idle for a short while after you get out, as to prevent oil from getting cooked and gummy inside the turbo.
I don't think that OEE's cause is poor, but their approach to resolve the problem of "Green House Gases" is. Anti-idling laws? Come on! What's next, inserting filters into the anal cavities of all domesticated animals to filter methane from their farts? Why stop with animals, lets all get methane filters ourselves and fight the good fight.
Seriously though folks, when is enough going to be enough. Why don't environmentalists spend their money on trying to improve automobile efficiency? It's obvious that driving is not going away any time in the near future, and making it illegal to allow a vehicle to idle is a very small band-aid on a severed torso; It just doesn't make sense.
I'm all for free speech, and if they want to lobby to have anti-idling laws put in place, fine - but do they have to make misleading claims on their website in regards to idling being harmful to engines? Scare tactics?! Is that your idea of how a government supported and funded agency should operate? It's just rediculous. The OEE's anti-idle campaign is a joke. It reflects poorly on them and their other more respectable campaigns.
If you're interested, take a look at the OEE's Idle-Free Zone website.
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