DRIVERS have been warned to switch off their engines outside Bradford’s primary schools as part of a new campaign to protect children’s health.

We Care About Clean Air is a new campaign by Bradford Council that aims to raise awareness of the harmful impact of air pollution on children’s health.

The 'no idling' scheme will encourage drivers to switch off their engines outside the school gates.

It will also encourage parents to leave the car at home and walk, cycle or take the bus to school with their children wherever possible.

If they do need to drive towards their child’s school, they are being asked to make sure they switch off their engines when parked near the school gates – or park some distance away from the school gates.

The campaign has been developed following discussions with local parents, schoolchildren and teachers to help understand the issue and what can be done to prevent idling.

Families urged to ditch cars and walk their children to school

At meetings discussing air quality and public health, many councillors have bemoaned the fact that driving children to school is the default option for many parents.

At a meeting in April, Councillor Taj Salam (Lab, Little Horton) said: “I see lots of people taking their children to school in the morning in a car. We need to educate people of the benefits of walking their children to school.

“Some roads around school are so congested in the morning and afternoon you can’t move. Some people are driving their children to school from just two or three streets away. That is one of the things we need to change.”

Idling – or leaving the engine running while a car is stationary – causes air pollution to build up inside the car, as well as in the surrounding environment.

By leaving the engine running, drivers use more petrol and cause more engine wear than switching the engine off and on again after a few minutes.

The Council says local feedback on the issue suggests that people leave their engines running to save time, or to keep the temperature regulated inside the car, without realising the harmful effect on the air quality.

After announcing the start of the campaign, Councillor Sarah Ferriby, portfolio holder for Healthy People and Places, said: “We know that air pollution is harmful to health, and some groups such as young children, the elderly and those with long term health conditions are particularly vulnerable to its effects.

“This campaign will help our schools and local communities to understand how they can work together to make the air cleaner for our children”’.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, portfolio holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “School drop off and pick up times can be stressful for families, with poor air quality and congestion caused by too many cars in a small area.

“Switching off your car’s engine when it’s stopped is a simple change that anyone can do to help improve air quality around schools.

“For those able to do more, finding alternative ways of getting to school can have multiple benefits for health. Even parking five minutes walk away from school can increase your physical activity over the day, as well as making the school environment cleaner.”

Primary schools are being encouraged to sign up to the campaign to receive free resources and information on how to get involved by visiting Bradford Schools Online.

Air pollution is linked to over 200 early deaths a year across the Bradford District and can cause asthma, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke and other respiratory diseases.

Bradford is one of several authorities required by the government to produce an air quality plan to show how they plan to bring levels of nitrogen dioxide within legal limits in the shortest possible time. The campaign is part of the Council’s Breathe Better Bradford strategy to improve the air quality in the district.