New campaign urges London’s drivers: switch off engines when parked to save lives
A new London-wide advertising campaign has launched today encouraging drivers to turn off their engines when parked to cut air pollution.
Led by the City of London Corporation and Camden Council, and funded by the Mayor of London, the ‘Engine Off, Every Stop’ campaign features posters and billboards on roadside sites and petrol stations across the capital.
Drivers are also being reached with radio adverts, videos and social media, in a bid to change behaviour.
The four-week project highlights air pollution as an “invisible killer” and a dangerous daily reality for many Londoners.
During the current national lockdown, any journeys by motor vehicle are strongly discouraged, unless they are essential for work, business or other valid reasons such as shopping for essentials.
Posters reveal the amount of invisible toxic fumes spewed from just a single idling vehicle engine.
Idling vehicles emit pollutants including nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter which are linked to asthma, heart disease, chronic bronchitis and cancer.
People with respiratory conditions, the elderly, pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable.
It is estimated that every year more than 4,000 Londoners die prematurely from long-term exposure to air pollution*.
The campaign, which is expected to reach over 8 million people across the capital, is part of Idling Action London, which sees 30 London local authorities and the City of London Corporation joining forces to drive down toxic air.
Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Environmental Services Committee, Keith Bottomley, said:
“This campaign carries a very clear call to action for London’s drivers to safeguard public health.
“Air pollution is the largest environmental risk to public health with up to 36,000 people dying prematurely every year in the UK.
“Switching off when parked is one of the easiest ways to drive that number down.
“This simple change in behaviour will make a real positive difference. We need all of the capital’s drivers to play their part in ridding this city of toxic air and saving lives.”
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London said:
“Engine idling is completely unnecessary and threatens the health of anyone close by. Air pollution is not just a central London problem, which is why I’m glad London boroughs have joined this call to promote ‘Engine Off, Every Stop’.
“Supporting boroughs through the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund is just one of the ways I’m working to improve London’s air, including cleaning up London’s buses, tackling air pollution around schools and, in October this year, expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone up to the North and South Circular roads to cut pollution for millions more Londoners.”
Councillor Adam Harrison, Cabinet Member for a Sustainable Camden, said:
“During the current lockdown, in which only essential journeys are allowed, lots of people have said just how much they enjoyed the quieter, low-traffic streets in London. We should learn from this and go further in protecting people’s health by cutting air pollution.
”This starts with cutting out avoidable pollution from engine idling. We are therefore calling on individuals and businesses to back our ‘Engine Off, Every Stop’ campaign and make a pledge to reduce emissions by avoiding engine idling wherever possible.”
As part of the campaign, the Idling Action London team will be running webinars for school children, residents, workers, and drivers to learn more about air pollution and how to tackle engine idling.
The Engine Off Every Stop launch event takes place as a ‘Call to Action’ webinar on 23rd February at 4-5pm where residents, businesses, and community groups can find out how they can get involved with the month long campaign and to showcase what our project partners have been doing to tackle idling. Register on Eventbrite here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/engines-off-every-stop-launch-tickets-140263314349
Businesses, residents, schools, and community groups can get involved by signing the Engines Off pledge and using free toolkits and other resources which provide easy and practical steps to tackling idling engines.
For more information about how to get involved, head to our website www.idlingaction.london
Watch the “Engine Off Every Stop” film here : https://youtu.be/-sCXaziyWnw
ENDS
Notes to editors
About the Idling Action project
Vehicle Idling Action is a London-wide behaviour change campaign which is helping to reduce localised air pollution caused by motorists leaving their engines running when parked.
The project has been awarded funding as part of the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund Round 3 and involves 30 London local authorities and the City of London Corporation. As well as the delivery of idling action events, in which teams of volunteers, local authority officers and project staff work to educate both motorists and pedestrians, the project is delivering school workshops, engaging with businesses, offering vehicle fleet training, and is working with all local authorities to ensure idling regulations are enforced across London.
The Idling Action Project has been running since 2016. Now in its fourth phase it is jointly led by the City of London Corporation and the London Borough of Camden.
About the City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
About Camden Council
Camden has a proud, rebellious spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems, and to bring about real social change.
About Mayor of London’s Air Quality Fund
The Mayor’s Air Quality Fund (MAQF) is a £22 million fund over 10 years to support projects by London boroughs to improve air quality. Projects supported with £6m in the third round of the MAQF were announced by the Mayor on 7 June 2019. In this round he is supporting four Low Emission Neighbourhoods and 11 other innovative air quality projects, including this idling project, a pan-London project tackling pollution from construction machinery, and an initiative supporting 250 car free and pedestrianisation schemes across London.
Kristina Drake| Media Officer, Public Services
City of London Corporation
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/newsroom
Kristina.Drake@cityoflondon.gov.uk
M: 07710860884
D: 020 7332 1125