A new anti-idling ordinance will go into effect in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on July 1.
The newly passed law will allow Ann Arbor police officers to issue citations of $100 or more to drivers who are idling when it is “unnecessary” to do so. Ann Arbor city officials say that the ordinance is designed to protect the health of citizens by cutting back on airborne pollutants.
New Law Allows Ann Arbor Police to Ticket Idling Trucks
For commercial vehicle drivers, the new law forbids any idling whatsoever when the truck is unoccupied. The law also forbids commercial vehicle driver to idle more than five minutes out of every hour when the truck is occupied.
Idling Permitted Under Some Circumstances
There are some exceptions to the anti-idling ordinance. Idling will be permitted when it is ” necessary to operate defrosters, heaters, air conditioners, or other equipment to prevent a safety or health emergency for human or animal occupants.” More specifically, idling will be allowed when it is necessary to “provide heat to an occupied Motor Vehicle when the outside ambient temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and there is no accessible temperature-controlled area within a reasonable distance; or Idling is necessary to provide cooling within the cab of the vehicle if the outside temperature is more than 85 degrees Fahrenheit and there is no accessible temperature-controlled area within a reasonable distance.”
Idling is permissible for truck drivers on a federally required rest break so long as they do not have an alternative power source and the truck is “not within 25 miles of a parking facility with available truck stop electrification or shore power compatible with the vehicle’s equipment.”
For a closer look at a complete list of the idling ordinance exceptions, click here.
Additionally, drivers stuck in “traffic conditions beyond the Operator’s control” will be permitted to idle, according to the ordinance.
The no-idle ordinance also applies to passenger vehicles in a more limited capacity. Passenger vehicle drivers are forbidden from idling an unoccupied vehicle at all or an occupied vehicle for more than five minutes per hour within designated “No Idle Zones” that will be marked with signs. So far, the city of Ann Arbor has not erected any No Idle Zone signs.