Drivers advised to ‘Switch off their engine’

New signs advising drivers to switch off their engines while stationary, are being installed in the city this week.

Around 35 ‘Cut engine – Cut pollution’ signs are being fixed around Brighton & Hove’s Air Quality Management Areas – mainly in the city centre but also outside the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Rottingdean and South Portslade.

The signs, which are being supplied by The Sussex Air Quality Partnership, advise drivers to switch off their engines if waiting for more than a minute.

The aim of the signs is to encourage drivers to avoid ‘idling’  to help reduce pollution across Brighton & Hove.

“Vehicle fumes damage both health and the local environment,” said Cllr Gill Mitchell, chair of the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee.

“Switching off engines could make a big difference to pollution levels in the city and help to reduce the risk of asthma, heart disease and lung cancer for our residents and visitors.”

Research has shown that turning off an engine and restarting it after a minute or longer causes less pollution than keeping the engine idling and saves fuel. It also helps keep engines and exhausts cleaner.