Drivers beware: Don't leave idling cars unattended

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Sean Priddy
  • 23rd Wing Safety Office
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  How many times have you left your car running while you took care of small errands, such as dropping off your child at the Child Development Center?

Many Moody members are unaware that leaving an idling car unattended is a violation of the base traffic code.

According to Moody AFB Instruction 31-204, A1.9., "Privately owned vehicles will not be left unattended with the ignition key in the vehicle or with the engine running. They will be left in such a manner that all safety devices are set to preclude the vehicle from being set in motion."

The exceptions to this Moody traffic code are emergency vehicles and certain special purpose vehicles, as approved by the 23rd Mission Support Group commander, as long as they are parked with the keys in the ignition provided the parking brake is set and the vehicle is placed in the lowest gear.

It is important for individuals to know and abide by these instructions to avoid a violation.

According to the California Energy Commission, there are also some myths associated with leaving an idling car.

Myth #1: The engine should be warmed up before driving.

Idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather. The best way to do this is to drive the vehicle. With today's modern engines, your car needs no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before driving away.

Myth #2: Idling is good for your engine.

Excessive idling can actually damage your engine components, including cylinders, spark plugs and exhaust systems. Fuel is only partially combusted when idling because an engine does not operate at its peak temperature. This leads to the buildup of fuel residue on cylinder walls that can damage engine components and increase fuel consumption.

Myth #3: Shutting off and restarting your vehicle is hard on the engine and uses more gas than if you leave it running.

Frequent restarting has little impact on engine components like the battery and the starter motor. Component wear caused by restarting the engine is estimated to add $10 per year to the cost of driving, money that will likely be recovered several times over in fuel savings from reduced idling. The bottom line is that more than ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine.

For more information, call the 23rd Wing Safety Office at (229) 257-4680.