As the weather gets colder across the U.S., more people are likely letting their car “warm up” for a few minutes before they get in and drive. It doesn’t make sense from a technological standpoint, and it may be illegal where you live.
The average American thought a car should idle for at least five minutes when it’s below freezing out. A modern car heats up in about 30 seconds once you start moving, making a five-minute warmup really just an exercise in wasting emissions.
Most laws about idling refer to commercial, diesel-powered vehicles. In general, though, the places where it’s illegal to idle a vehicle only come into effect after around five minutes. One exception is New York City, where the limit is three minutes.
