WTF!!! Idling in a queue is now a traffic offence!

[R33_GTS-t]

Fine for having your engine running ?

Drivers could face £20 fine for leaving engines running in traffic jams | Mail Online

Motorists could face £20 spot fines if they leave their engines running while stuck in traffic.

Traffic wardens will be able to issue the penalties - after a warning - in a bid to cut down on pollution.

A pilot scheme is due to be launched in January in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, and will be expanded if it proves successful. West Sussex Council said it would target areas where exhaust emissions build up unnecessarily, such as rail crossings and town centres.

But drivers branded the plans yet another round of the war on the motorist. The AA pointed out that to switch off an engine and start up again within a minute actually uses more fuel than letting it idle.

Cabbie Roger Turner, 30, said he was disgusted with the idea,

adding: 'Who gave them the right to tell us to switch off our engines?

'It's not like we try to waste fuel, but can you imagine what would happen if everyone starts shutting off their engines?

'The ones I feel sorry for are the old dears, who won't know what's going on and could end with a £20 fine for not turning off the engine in their Fiat Panda. It's another example of the nanny state.'

West Sussex Council has already set up two Air Quality Management Areas in Shoreham, many of whose 20,000 residents are elderly.

A spokesman said: 'We want to get people out of the habit of leaving their cars ticking over out of convenience.

'We would stress that this is just an investigation at this stage. If it were ever introduced the fixed penalty would probably be £20, but we would hope the vast majority of motorists would be willing to cooperate. Air pollution is a particularly important issue for our residents, particularly those with asthma, lung and heart conditions.'

Signs have been put up at level crossings, telling drivers to switch off when the barriers are down.

AA spokesman Paul Watters said: 'We hope councils will not adopt a heavy-handed attitude with this. There is a huge difference between running the engine for less than a minute at the traffic lights and idling for a quarter of an hour.

'If you are stuck in a traffic jam and a warden slaps a ticket on your windscreen, that is ridiculous. The danger of everyone switching off in a jam is that some may not start up again. And then there's gridlock.'

Mr Watters added: 'The legislation allowing councils to impose such fines has been on the statute books for a few years, but few drivers are aware of it.'

The Department for Transport said it had issued guidance to councils stressing that they should not issue a £20 penalty notice without first giving drivers a warning.

Rule 123 of the Highway Code says: 'If the vehicle is stationary and likely to remain so for more than a couple of minutes, you should switch off the engine to reduce emissions and oil pollution.

'However, it is permissible to leave the engine running if the vehicle is stationary in traffic.'

Why turning the engine off in traffic might not be that green after all...

A car engine is at its most inefficient when it is idling, the AA said last night, but turning off the engine is not necessarily an improvement.

A spokesman explained: 'In terms of emissions, the catalytic converter only works properly when it's hot, and it cools down when idling.

'This means emission levels of gases and hydrocarbons will rise.

'Our own fuel consumption tests showed that a car uses somewhere between 0.36 and 0.78 litres an hour when idling - so that's no miles per litre, but plenty of carbon dioxide and more toxic emissions.'


An hour of idling can produce around 2.36kg of carbon dioxide - the 'greenhouse gas' blamed by scientists for global warming.

But switching an engine off is not necessarily a better option, the AA warns.

A burst of fuel is needed to start an engine, so switching it off and then on again seconds later actually uses more fuel than idling and produces more emissions.

The AA said: 'For less than a minute it is not fuel efficient to switch off because you will use more fuel starting up than you will save. It only becomes fuel efficient to switch off if you are going to be stopped for a minute or more.'

Its a load of scary government dictatorship legislation again
The Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002 is the relevant act, part 6 is important
PART 6

STOPPING OF ENGINES

Stopping of engine when vehicle stationary
12. - (1) An authorised person who has reasonable cause to believe that the driver of a vehicle that is stationary on a road is committing a stationary idling offence may, upon production of evidence of his authorisation, require him to stop the running of the engine of that vehicle.

(2) A person who fails to comply with a requirement under paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

Issue of fixed penalty notice: stationary idling offence
13. An authorised person who considers that a stationary idling offence has been committed may, in accordance with Part 7, issue a fixed penalty notice to the driver of the vehicle.

Furnishing of information for the purposes of Part 6
14. - (1) In connection with the discharge of his functions under this Part, an authorised person may require the driver of a vehicle in respect of which a requirement under regulation 12(1) is imposed to disclose to him -

(a) his name and address;

(b) his date of birth; and

(c) if he is not the person in whose name the vehicle is registered under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994[8] at the time that the requirement is imposed, the name of that person.

(2) A person who fails to comply with a requirement to furnish information under paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.






The interesting bit

Time for issue of notice

(2) A fixed penalty notice under regulation 13 shall be issued as soon as reasonably practicable and not later than 24 hours after the commission of the stationary idling offence.

[n boost]

Bloody idiots this Gov't and all this pollution crap is making me sick.

[Alan]

More money for the govenment

[nozza1]

:chuc kle:
This has got to be another one of your practical jokes,....right,....R33_GTS-t!!... .. please let it be!!!

[mava_rules]

its the law in sweden or somewhere already, has been for years!

[agent-x]

thats so ****in stupid

i dont see gordon brown getting on his bike and biking his way to 10 downing street

thats what there trying to make us do

[jamesbilluk]

Getting stupid this, Hope it never comes into place. If its a blazing hot day in a traffic jam I would be lost without a/c.
not give some little turd of a warden warden 20 quid for the government

[R33_GTS-t]

Originally Posted by nozza1

:chuc kle:
This has got to be another one of your practical jokes,....right,....R33_GTS-t!!... .. please let it be!!!

Nope.

The Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002

Originally Posted by agent-x

thats so ****in stupid

i dont see gordon brown getting on his bike and biking his way to 10 downing street

thats what there trying to make us do

LOL. He'd never make it.

I've proposed some amendments to the legislation:

STOPPING OF ENGINES

Stopping of engine when vehicle stationary
(1) An authorised person who has reasonable cause to believe that the driver of a vehicle that is stationary on a road is committing a stationary idling offence may, upon production of evidence of his authorisation, be told to f--- off.

(2) An authorised person who fails to comply with the request under paragraph (1) shall be subject to summary combustion.

[L14M0]

There are restrictions and guidelines everywhere now, soon they are are going to be regulating our breathing to stop the emissions of CO2

[Marky_GTSt]

Odd thing is, Most petrol engines use more fuel and generate more emissions when you turn it on and off in that fashion... Unless you are stuck for like 5 mins or more and the engine is warm.

I wonder if they will soon realise that speed bumps also make cars use more fuel and make more emissions too ? Then maybe they will pull them up.

the catalytic converter only works properly when it's hot, and it cools down when idling.

It cools even more when the engine is off... And then takes longer to warm up again.

[moz]

What is happening over there? Can you guys actually do anything anymore?

Well, it's just a fixed penalty notice, try asking them for a bill! Or just look through the Bill of Rights 1689 where it declares:

"That all Grants and Promises of Fines and Forfeitures of particular persons before Conviction are illegall and void.".

[cokey]

So they take all our money, **** up the roads and traffic systems and now whilst we are stationary because they have made traffic a spectator sport for beggars ~ they can extort cash on the spot !
Im out of here !
Last one out turn of the lights !
Oh do remember to leave a notice Saying on or off in 135 different languages !
cokey

[Trev]

They can pay for my new turbo then! Turning the car on/off all the time WILL NOT do it any good.

Besides, they have to find the body of the idiot that tries to issue one of those B*LLSH*T tickets to me first.

[n boost]

Originally Posted by Trev

They can pay for my new turbo then! Turning the car on/off all the time WILL NOT do it any good.

Besides, they have to find the body of the idiot that tries to issue one of those B*LLSH*T tickets to me first.

Well said mate, turn the turds lights off instead of engine

[Marky_GTSt]

Originally Posted by moz

What is happening over there? Can you guys actually do anything anymore?

Its feeling very much like that just now, Driving a car into a new area is now a frightning experience as you have Speed bumps, Road narrowing to slow you down, Cameras hidden all over and to top it off you cant stop now without risking a fine.

So you spend your time watching out for the important things like cameras and your speedo and ignoring the less important things like people crossing the road or the car ahead stopping....

If the Government is so determined to get us out of cars, Then why have they provided no resonable alternative ? Why are they building more roads when they could build more tramways and invest in proper public transport ?