by ⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious
Do as you’re told, scofflaw!
If you are lucky enough to live where snow falls and ice forms on your car parked outside, you need to be careful about warming up the car in the morning. Depending on where you live, warming up your car before getting in and driving away may be a violation of city code or even state law, with stiff penalties for violators. That may sound ridiculous, because it absolutely is, so time to wake up and smell the government overreach.
Find out why your new car may come with a government kill switch here.
For many drivers, warming up the engine in their car is a form of comfort, allowing the heater to warm the interior before they leave. Others use it as a way to remove the ice and fog from the glass before hitting the road. But for others, it’s a way to prevent costly engine damage.
When it comes to older cars, warming up the engine is a must before you even think about putting any weight on it. After all, a cold carb doesn’t provide a proper air/fuel mixture, brittle valve springs can fail if they’re too cold, and oil starvation is a very real problem once temperatures drop, to name just a few potential pitfalls in winter. Some lawmakers and city officials don’t seem to understand this reality, so don’t necessarily expect leniency if you drive an older car in snowy conditions.
The laws and regulations regarding car heating can vary greatly from place to place. In some areas you can warm up your car if it is in a private driveway. In some municipalities it is possible to leave a car idling without the owner nearby, if this is done via remote start. Others allow you to warm up the car when you are actually in the car, or within sight of it. Others place a time limit on idling a car when not at a stoplight; some allow just one minute to put the car in gear and get moving. In other words, you should check your local laws and ordinances if you’re concerned about getting a ticket for warming up your car on cold winter mornings.
Just because there is a law or regulation where you live does not mean that the police or anyone else will charge you with violating it. As KSL News Radio in Utah noted a few years ago, only eight people had been fined under local cities’ idle-free ordinances, which had been in effect for six years. In other words, if the police and enforcement officers of the municipality where you live are not enthusiastic about enforcing car idling ordinances/laws, and you don’t have a nosy neighbor who has it out for you, you are most likely in the clear.
Source: KSL Newsradio
Images via Facebook
Sign up for the Motorious newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Tweetand Instagram.
