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With the next polar vortex making its way through the state of Ohio, our entire staff at The News Wheel has been complaining about the freezing morning temperatures lately. Of course, if you park your car outside, sitting down in a freezing cold car may elicit a reaction rivaling Kevin McCallister after using his dad’s aftershave.
Of course, to combat those cold temperatures, most of us try to warm up our car before we head out for the day. But, as it turns out, warming up your car is illegal in the state of Ohio. That is, if it’s left unattended.
According to the Ohio Revised Code, a driver must stop the engine, remove the key, and lock the doors before leaving his or her vehicle unattended:
“No person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key from the ignition, effectively setting the parking brake, and, when the motor vehicle is standing upon any grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway.”
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This means that if you want to sit in your car while it warms up, that’s fine, but it sort of defeats the purpose. This law is in place to reduce the number of car thefts throughout the state.
However, there’s an exception to the rule: remote start. If your vehicle is equipped with remote start, there is no key in the vehicle and, therefore, it’s legal to warm up your car that way. For the rest of us? Well, it looks like we’ll have to be cold or risk being charged with a minor misdemeanor.
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News Sources: Cincinnati.com, Cleveland.com
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.