Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay

The Cult of Climate has come for drinking straws, fossil fuels and even meat. Now in Massachusetts a new law may begin snowing down hefty fines on motorists who leave their cars to idle to warm up in the winter months. According to Masslive.com a law – dubbed the Massachusetts Anti-Idling Law – is aimed at improving “air quality by reducing unnecessary air pollution from idling vehicles”.

According to Massachusetts law Chapter 90 Sec. 16A, “No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the unnecessary operation of the engine of a motor vehicle while said vehicle is stopped for a foreseeable period of time in excess of five minutes.”

Idling your car for more than five minutes could result in a $100 fine for the first offense, and up to $500 for each subsequent offense.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection says that idling for defrosting windshields is an exception to the rule as it’s necessary to clear any obstructed views.