Rep. Patrick Files Bus Idling Bill to Save Fuel and Money

In an effort to save school districts money and reduce diesel exhaust emissions Representative Patrick of Tarrant County has presented a bill that bans school buses from idling for extended periods of time.  The ban in House Bill 4208 ends idling for buses outside of schools or at school events, preventing the tailpipe exhaust generated by diesel engines from accumulating on and around the bus and posing a health risk to children and to bus drivers. Breathing air heavy with tiny particles can be dangerous, even over a short time, because these particles are so miniscule, they can enter the circulatory system and damage blood vessels.

Additionally, there is a financial cost to this practice - idling wastes fuel and money. A typical bus burns approximately one-half gallon of diesel fuel for each hour it idles. The less school buses idle, the more money districts can save. This measure helps reduce diesel exhaust emissions and also saves school districts money.