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Kill the engine, save the planet

9th December 2009 Print

Idle drivers must switch off in a jam or we’ll all come unstuck. Less than five per cent of drivers switch off the engine when in a rush hour standstill.

According to Trimble, the Mobile Resource Management company, if more drivers got into this simple habit – damage to the planet would be vastly reduced.

Trimble, which has a number of customers operating large fleets, is urging businesses to do their bit for the environment during the week when world leaders meet at a Copenhagen summit to discuss climate change.

“If a driver is parked at the side of the road to complete paperwork or make a call or even making a delivery which lasts more than 10 seconds the engine should be switched off,” says Andrew Yeoman, MD of Trimble MRM.

“Idling the engine for more than ten seconds uses up more fuel than switching off and restarting again.”

For every 2 minutes the engine is idling enough fuel is wasted to have driven 1 mile.

“Road transport is the third largest source of UK greenhouse gases and accounts for over 20% of total emissions,” says Yeoman.

“It is easy to leave the engine running while taking care of other things but the vehicle is being ineffective and burning excessive fuel”

“Businesses need to be aware that even small changes in their drivers’ behaviour can impact the environment significantly. By identifying where fuel wastage is occurring and stopping it, they can do their bit for climate change.”

Trimble has grabbed the initiative by developing the Driver DNA box, a sophisticated ‘all seeing’ device which not only records where vehicles are travelling and how they are being driven, but also whether the engine is on and the vehicle isn’t moving.

In recent tests with a lorry fleet Trimble proved that reducing idle time to 10 minutes instead of an hour each day when not moving could reduce CO2 emissions by 1,297kg each year per vehicle.

With 564 fewer litres of petrol needed a year for each vehicle, the business can save £614 per lorry.

For more information, visit trimble.com.