Idahoans often leave cars running to warm up. But is it legal?

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — As temperatures more frequently drop below freezing in Idaho, it’s a common practice for car owners to turn their cars or trucks on to warm up unattended for several minutes before heading out.

But technically, you could be doing it illegally.

Boise experienced its first freeze in late October, and low temperatures have repeatedly dropped into the 20s ever since.

Warming up your vehicle in the morning before getting inside sounds like a smart and innocent idea, but you just might be breaking the law. Here’s what to know about leaving a vehicle switched on and unattended in Idaho:

When is it illegal to leave a vehicle running?

According to the Idaho Statutes, if your vehicle is on private property — such as your driveway — it’s entirely legal to turn it on and walk away.

But if you’re in public and have an older car, you could be out of luck.

The Idaho Statutes state that a person may not leave a vehicle unattended in public without first:

• Locking the vehicle if the engine is still running
• Setting the parking brake
• When parking on a grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway

Older cars would require the key to be in the ignition or the vehicle for the warm-up, which makes it tough to both lock the vehicle and leave the engine running as you walk away — unless you are carrying two keys.

But there is a modern workaround: keyless ignition. If you have a car that can be turned on automatically without the need to unlock the car or insert the key, you can warm up your car safely and legally.

Of course, you’re also welcome to stay inside the car as it warms up (but at that point, you may as well start driving most of the time).

The primary reason for not allowing cars to be left unattended in public is to prevent vehicle theft. Even leaving your car on and unattended on a private driveway in a busy area can be risky.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau records which vehicles are most commonly stolen in Idaho. Here are the top 10, as of 2022; the most frequent model year is in parenthesis:

• Ford Pickup (2013, 2001, 1997)
• Chevrolet Pickup (2000)
• Dodge Pickup (2005)
• GMC Pickup (2007)
• Honda Civic (2007, 2004, 1998, 1995)
• Honda Accord (2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 1995)
• Ram Pickup (2017)
• Toyota Camry (2012, 2009)
• Subaru Legacy (1993)
• Chevrolet Impala (2013, 2009)