The more you know and now I do too!

All across Washington State people are preparing to drive their frozen vehicles and before even hitting the road, they have already broken the law and probably had no idea.  You aren't allowed to warm up your car unattended even if it's in your own driveway. It's illegal in Washington State.

“No person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended without first stopping the engine,” the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 46.61.600 says.

You might think, well it's in my own drive-way, it's fine. No, actually it's really not. According to the Washington Association of Sheriff's and Police Chiefs in 2019 37% of cars stolen were taken, you guessed it, from the owner's own drive-way.

getty images
getty images
loading...

Frustrating for those that love to warm up their cars and then go back indoors to grab some coffee while they wait for the chilly interior to get all warm and fuzzy but that's the exact moment a criminal has been waiting for. Your convenience has just turned into a nightmare.

Yana Paskova
Yana Paskova
loading...

Longer than 60 seconds of a vehicle idling isn't good for the environment so that is another reason why this has turned into illegal activity. It could land you a ticket if you aren't in the vehicle while you wait.

Police121
loading...

Crazy fact in 2019 Washington State had the 4th most car vehicle thefts in the United States and Yakima, WA, well we made it in the top 10 list, but not a good one.

Yakima was No. 9 on the III’s 2019 report of the top 10 metropolitan areas with the most motor vehicle thefts. The city had 1,325 vehicles stolen in 2019, the III report says.

So what's the moral of the story? Dress warm and leave yourself enough time to sit in your vehicle while it warms up. Not just for your car's safety but for the environment and your bank account as well!

CHECK THEM OUT: States With the Best and Worst Commutes

 

 

 

More From News Talk KIT