The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) saves money and reduces emissions through a vehicle equipment idling policy. The policy limits the operation of a motor vehicle engine to no more than five consecutive minutes when the vehicle is not in motion.

The exceptions to this policy are when a unit is deployed along a State route in preparation for winter operations, and when a unit is functioning in an emergency or maintaining traffic with emergency lighting.

The policy applies to all operators of MDOT SHA vehicles and equipment, as well as drivers of consultant support vehicles. MDOT SHA has saved more than 170,000 gallons of light duty gasoline thanks to this idling policy.