Introduction

In 2023 school leaders and councillors received a hugely thought provoking email from a concerned parent. A parent who hopes to make everyones lives a little better and a little healthier with a small change to our habits. It is very easy - when stopped - switch off your engine. 

The case and evidence to support this is considerable.

There are other aspects included in the correspondence:

• I was also surprised to learn that it is actually against the law to sit with your engine idling for more than 20 seconds on a public road.
• It shocked me that a family car could fill around 150 balloons with harmful exhaust fumes for each minute it is idling.

I am sure that most drivers idle their engines without even thinking - it's just something you do while you check your phone or keep the heating or air con running. But I would hope that many would try and change their habits if they were aware of the health impact it has on their family inside the vehicle, and their children's friends and families outside. Not to mention the positive impact they could have on the planet their children are growing up on, were they to just switch their engine off while they wait.

Please watch these short videos to understand a little more ....

Guide	Link
Think Global Health While smoking, alcohol, obesity, and diet are widely understood to be linked to poor health, it is only recently that the staggering impact of air pollution on global health has been recognized. In 2019 alone, outdoor air pollution was linked to more than 4 million deaths, killing more people than road traffic collisions, malaria, or alcohol use. Even though air pollution is preventable, it has worsened in many places over the past 20 years. Click on the image opposite to find out more or follow this LINK
Unicef - A breath of toxic air Air pollution is an invisible but dangerous threat to children’s health. Toxic emissions can damage children’s growth and leave them with lasting health problems. In 71% of UK towns and cities, children are breathing unsafe levels of air pollution. Around 1 in 3 babies are growing up in areas of the UK with unsafe levels of particulate matter – that’s nearly 270,000 babies under the age of 1 in the UK This not only violates a child’s right to health, but also their future. It could impact their right to education, their right to play and ultimately, their right to life. Click on the image or follow this LINK

Poster Campaign