Pupil poster competition educates parents about vehicle idling

Published: Wednesday, 15th November 2023

Artwork produced by a local school pupil has been put on display outside local schools to raise awareness of vehicle idling.

Children from across the Sevenoaks District were invited to enter a Council-run poster competition to encourage motorists to turn off their engines when parked, helping to improve air quality around schools.

Several schools entered the competition to inspire climate and environmental awareness and many poster designs were put forward. The winning design was from Jenson at Lady Boswell’s Primary School in Sevenoaks.

Jenson’s ‘Stop engine idling’ poster formed the basis of banners and posters that are now on display outside many local schools.

Idling petrol and diesel vehicles can cause a number of problems. The average parked car left running for ten minutes pumps out the same amount of CO2 as driving a three mile journey as well as other toxic pollutants. Not only is this damaging to the environment and residents’ health, it’s also expensive and illegal and could land drivers with a fine.

Cllr Margot McArthur, Sevenoaks District Cabinet Member for Cleaner and Greener says: “We were blown-away by the many amazing and thoughtful posters produced by school pupils from across the District. What came out of this competition was our young people care passionately about the environment and are keen to send a message to adults that small, important changes can make a big difference to our future.

"Improving air quality is a top priority for the Council. Although we have seen year-on-year improvements in the District's air quality, we need to make sure we are all doing everything possible to ensure this trend continues."