Go Ahead, Michiganders, Warm That Car Up*
For many years the phrase “keep the car running” carried a fine in some Michigan locales if put into practice. At least, it once did. As of Wednesday, the state of Michigan has made it legal to warm up your car in the driveway as you stare at it, coffee in hand, from the front window. Careful, though — local anti-idling laws might still apply.
A local law enacted to prevent vehicle theft was the reason behind a $128 ticket issued to Roseville resident Taylor Trupiano back in January. A police officer handed over the civil infraction notice after seeing Trupiano’s car, with keys in the ignition, engine running, and doors unlocked, sitting unattended in the driveway for an extended period of time. The owner claimed he was simply warming up his car for his girlfriend and two-year-old son.
Eventually, the matter ended up in court. While Trupiano eventually lost his case — he was unable to prove that his driveway wasn’t easily accessible to the public — state lawmakers took notice.
Bill 4215, signed into law yesterday by Governor Rick Snyder, amends a 1949 law concerning the care of motor vehicles. While the portions pertaining to leaving a vehicle unattended on the side of a highway remain the same (brake applied, transmission in park, ignition key gone and wheels turned to the curb), owners needn’t fear their own driveways.
This assumes, of course, their vehicles contain a remote starter.
The amendment to the existing legislation simply adds three sentences. While the first two concern vehicles left on highways, the third states, “This section does not apply to a vehicle that is standing in place and is equipped with a remote start feature, if the remote start feature is engaged.” The preexisting law still applies for vehicles parked on the road in front of your house.
So, while it isn’t exactly an idling free-for-all in Michigan, the state has at least laid some ground rules to prevent overzealous enforcement officers from making your driveway warm-up an expensive one. Just make sure your city hasn’t penned an asterisk next to the amended law.
[Image: Willard Losinger/ Bigstock]
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What about cars that have push button start? If I was to want to "warm up" my car (2016 Mazda6), I can get in, push the start button, and then walk back in the house - taking the key fob with me. The car will beep a few times to remind me that there's not a key in it, but it will otherwise sit and idle just fine. I think it could still theoretically be driven away, though. It would just beep a lot and be unable to be restarted once it was shut off. But, in the eyes of the law, does me starting it and taking the key back in the house with me constitute a remote start? The keys aren't technically in the vehicle at that point. It's a moot point for me anyway, thanks to the fact that I A.) Live in Kentucky and our governor is too busy trying to change healthcare to worry about any other laws, and B.) I have an attached garage the car stays in and the coldest the garage gets is around 40-45F.
Prevent crime by creating more criminals. Public servants are creatively Orwellian in their desire for job security.