Driving law changes could see petrol and diesel car owners slapped with larger fines

An environmental group is calling on the Scottish Government to outline how it plans to make driving laws more effective to crack down on petrol and diesel drivers.

Environmental Standards Scotland has introduced an Improvement Report before the Scottish Parliament to toughen the legal framework on engine idling.

Drivers can face penalties if they leave their car running when it's not moving under the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (Scotland) Regulations 2003.

Local authorities are able to require vehicle users to switch off their engines when stationary and issue fixed penalty notices.

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Research from the UK Health Security Agency estimates that outdoor air pollution causes between 1,800 and 2,700 deaths each year in Scotland.

Leaving an engine running for a short time, even as little as 30 seconds, can produce more pollution than turning the engine off and restarting the vehicle.

ESS stated that it was investigating the effectiveness of the 2003 Regulations after concerns were raised by an environmental charity.

It questioned the extent to which local authorities were enforcing the regulations and whether the current fixed penalty notice acts as an effective deterrent.

At present, local councils can issue drivers with a £20 fixed penalty notice for leaving the engine running unnecessarily.

The Scottish Government agreed with ESS and said subsequent action would be taken to strengthen the guidance on idling.

However, ESS states that a resolution could not be reached to ensure fixed penalty notices act as an effective measure to put drivers off.

ESS is now formally requiring Scottish ministers to publish an Improvement Plan to ensure that environmental laws are suitable.

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Mark Roberts, chief executive of ESS, said: "Part of our job is to ensure environmental laws are effective and deliver their intended outcomes.

"Our work has concluded that the current legal framework intended to tackle engine idling - an avoidable source of air pollution - may not be acting as a strong enough deterrent.

"By laying this Improvement Report in the Scottish Parliament, we are requiring Scottish Ministers to set out clearly how they will ensure the law here works as intended and helps to reduce harmful emissions."

The Scottish Government has issued guidance on idling and highlights that idling is directly linked to heart and lung diseases.

It also notes that children are at a greater risk of health-related issues stemming from pollution since they are smaller and still developing.

Since they breathe more quickly than adults, they take in more polluted air compared to their size, leading to increased hospital admissions for children with lung conditions.

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