60Vehicle idling wastes fuel and releases exhaust that can be harmful to people and the environment. Vehicle idling should generally be avoided. NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s heavy-duty vehicle idling prohibition (6 NYCRR 217-3) prohibits the idling of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of over 8,500 pounds for more than 5 consecutive minutes.
Exceptions to this idling prohibition include, but are not limited to:
- Vehicle forced to remain motionless due to traffic.
- Fire, police and public utility trucks or other vehicles performing emergency services.
- Diesel fueled vehicle truck remaining motionless for more than two hours while ambient air temperatures are below 25°F (-3.9°C).
- Vehicle maintenance or providing power for auxiliary purpose, such as loading, discharging, mixing or processing cargo or cargo temperature control.
- Electric powered vehicle or hybrid vehicle idling to provide energy/battery recharging.