French mayor fines engine idling motorists: What does the law say?
Is it illegal to keep your motor running when stopped in France?
Idling your motor – meaning keeping it running while your vehicle is stopped (except as part of normal traffic flow) – is now banned in the town in designated areas
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A mayor in north-east France is issuing fines of €135 to drivers who leave their car engines idling near shops and schools, in a bid to combat this source of air pollution – but what does the law say about it?
Upon introducing the measure at the beginning of December, Pierre Perrin, mayor of Souffelweyersheim (near Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, Grand Est), said: “I am not in favour of repressive measures, but we are being forced to crack down.”
Idling your motor – meaning keeping it running while your vehicle is stopped (except as part of normal traffic flow) – is now banned in the town in designated areas, particularly in those with higher pedestrian footfall, including outside shops and schools.
The local municipal police has been given permission to issue fines of €135 to idling, waiting drivers and those who quickly leave their car running while they do an errand, as one of the ways to tackle air pollution.
“In our town, it has become a scourge, especially near schools. Some adults who drop their children off at primary schools leave their engines running,” said Perrin, to Le Parisien.
He believes that the issue has worsened in the past five years.
“I don't understand how some parents or grandparents can disregard their children's health,” he said. “Primary school pupils are at the same height as exhaust pipes. It is a public health issue. We have been raising awareness for five years.”
However, he said that police and officials would also aim to have “dialogue” with drivers, to continue to educate them on the issue and dangers of air pollution.
What does the law say on vehicle idling?
The mayor has said that his decision rests on Article R318-1 of the Code de la route (road laws).
The law does not explicitly outline the rules on idling specifically.
However the Article does state: “Motor vehicles must not emit smoke, toxic, corrosive or odorous gases under conditions that could cause discomfort to the public or compromise public health and safety.”
It adds that “any contravention of the provisions of this article…shall be punishable by the fine applicable to fourth-class offences”. A fourth-class offence (contravention de 4e classe) is a €135 fine, reduced if paid quickly.
Idling your vehicle, as opposed to turning it off and restarting when you begin driving again, is considered to be particularly harmful.
For example, the US Department of Energy states that “idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel and produces more emissions that contribute to smog and climate change than stopping and restarting your engine does”.
Idling is often more of a problem in winter as drivers look to keep interior heating on while waiting for a child at the school gates, for example. Yet, some drivers may have a tendency to idle because they believe that turning a car on and off again uses more fuel, or damages the battery.
In newer, modern cars – whether electric, hybrid, petrol, or diesel – this is not the case.
