If Bay Area residents could cut their cold starts by 25 percent, we could remove up to 97 tons of pollutants from the air each day.
Motor vehicles are the largest source of air pollution in the Bay Area.
Non-commuters include parents taking their kids to school, seniors, shoppers, weekend travelers, church goers. . Commuters, too, add to the non-commuter problem when they leave their office by car during the day to run errands or go out to lunch. A cold car, one that been sitting for an hour or more, pollutes up to five time more than a warm car. This is because the engine's air pollution control device, the catalytic converter, takes several minutes to warm up and work efficiently. By linking trips together and keeping your car engine warm, you can avoid cold starts.