Stop-start saves fuel
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An American scientist has announced that the composition of the heavily smoke-laden air in a typical "dive bar" in downtown Los Angeles included a carbon monoxide contents at least times higher than that of measurements taken in the city streets under rush-hour conditions. Nevertheless, vehicles in town traffic are stationary, with their engines running, for almost 45 pc of their total journey time — owing to traffic lights, blocked crossings, setting down or picking up passengers -and a Japanese investigation has highlighted the contribution made by improved signalling practice, eg linked lights, "green wave" systems, etc, towards reducing vehicle emissions.
A more practical demonstration of ways of fighting air pollution is now under way in Basle, Switzerland, where the police and motoring organizations in a widely supported campaign "Switch off when,halted" are trying to reduce the prevalent prejudice against stopping the engine during brief halts.
Later this month drivers of cars and commercial vehicles who switch off when held at traffic lights will be noted and subsequently commended by some of the trade associations. Drivers of the city's diesel buses have for many years cut their engine at each stop. Fitted with Nova air starters there is, of course, no drain on the battery while annual savings for the fleet of 65 vehicles are claimed to approach nearly 20,000gal of fuel.