SALT LAKE CITY – Utah’s Governor Gary Herbert signed an executive order in late May that requires drivers of State agencies’ 7,300 vehicles to turn off a vehicle's engine when the driver must idle a vehicle for more than 30 seconds. The video above shows the governor giving the executive order.

The news release from the governor’s office states that the initiative will be enacted on an agency-by-agency basis. Vehicles that must idle for either safety or job-specific functions will be exempt from the rule, for example Utah Highway Patrol vehicles and those from Utah’s Department of Transportation Incident Management.

The governor’s office said the idling prohibition will save up to 60,000 gallons of fuel, as passenger vehicles waste 0.48 gallons of fuel per hour by idling, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

The order will reach State employees via outreach and education efforts provided by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and Utah Department of Administrative Services' Division of Fleet Operations.

"By committing our employees to a common sense idle reduction policy, we hope to meaningfully reduce vehicle emissions across the State." said Governor Herbert. "Now, I hope that both businesses and individual Utah drivers will follow suit, as we partner to improve air quality and breathing. Air quality affects us all. Together, we can make a big difference."

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