Engine Idling Wave Two

Views on air pollution

• Respondents are concerned about air pollution; 84% in both wave 1 and wave 2 are at least ‘somewhat concerned’ about air pollution
• Key concerns are the impact air pollution has on the environment (82%), on the health of children (78%) and people with pre-existing conditions (73%)
• The majority of drivers want to reduce their impact on air pollution (85%)
• The main actions people are taking, or plan to take, are to reduce their vehicle usage through walking or cycling for short journeys, using public transport or making fewer trips, and to switch their engine off whilst stationary
• Concerns about the environment and climate change, contributing to positive change in the city and beyond, and keeping fit are the key drivers of these actions
• The main barriers to taking actions to reduce vehicle usage are the cost of alternatives and needing a car for all journeys

Engine idling behaviour

• Driver attitudes towards turning off their engine were similar to Wave 1 results; a majority of drivers turn off their engine when loading and unloading their vehicle (W2: 72%) and when at a rail crossing (W2: 58%) however less than a third switch off their engine at a red traffic light (W2: 31%)
• 35% of respondents still ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ turn off their engine when their vehicle is stationary – this is consistent across both waves
• Almost three-quarters of drivers think turning off their engine helps to reduce air pollution to some extent, however only 28% think it helps to reduce air pollution ‘a lot’
• Males and those aged under 44 and 55-64 turn their engine off least frequently – they are less sure about the impact turning off their engine has, being more likely to say it reduces air pollution ‘a little’ rather than ‘a lot’ compared to other groups

Engine idling campaign

• 24% of respondents were aware of the engine idling campaign – awareness was higher amongst younger respondents and females
• Posters were effective in reaching people, they were spotted by 51% of respondents, followed by billboards (32%) and Facebook (25%)
• Whilst over half of those seeing the advert said it had a positive impact on them (55%), over a third (39%) said it had no impact on them
• The advert attracted the attention of a third of respondents ‘a great deal’ or ‘a lot’, and resonated with 41% of respondents ‘a great deal’ or ‘a lot’
• The advert was more appealing to females – they were more likely to say it had a positive impact on them, attracted their attention and resonated with them

• To identify the proportion and demographic profile of car drivers turning their engines off whilst at a red light
• To ascertain the level of understanding around the importance of turning a car engine off when stationary
• To understand attitudes towards air quality in Portsmouth
• To understand the level of awareness and impact of the ‘150 Balloons’ campaign
• To measure behaviour change compared to the first wave of the engine idling survey

An online survey was launched on 3 January 2023 and closed on 29 January 2023.

It was promoted through the following marketing and communications channels to maximise engagement:

• Social media
• PCC email marketing distribution lists
• Media release encouraging participation
• PCC website

In total the survey received 668 responses.

Assuming a total population of Portsmouth residents aged 16+ of 170,818, This volume of responses ensures a 95% confidence level with a margin of error of 4%. This is within acceptable parameters.