Opinion: EVs and hybrids will make school more peaceful

Parents are a funny bunch. I can include myself in that. We do things which may not be overly rational, but under the guise of better protecting our kids or at least making their lives more comfortable.

There has to be a point at which this ends though, and this year has made it very clear to me what that should be.

If I were to come to power tomorrow, I would implement a ban on vehicles idling for more than 30 seconds outside of a school. Harsh? Probably. But can you put a price on peace?

This issue started to niggle when my daughter started at primary school at the beginning of the year. Being in Queensland and the summer, of course there were some quite warm days.

With the main pick-up waiting point outside the school gates adjacent to a handful of parking bays, the already hot winds became even more unpleasant when the row of half a dozen cars parked – not merely stopping – next to us started to blow their additional hot air and exhaust fumes towards us standing at the gate.

This went on and on. Day after day of standing near hot cars with their engines idling, as the sound also penetrated the air, making quiet conversations nearly impossible.

Only when it started to cool down in the latter stages of term two was there some reprieve, though with a cold change coming through this week, the problem has reared its ugly head again.

Now it’s the opposite issue, with parents wanting to make sure their cars are nice and toasty for little Johnny and Jill to hop into as soon as they get out of the already heated classroom. Being slightly chilly for less than a minute is too much of a burden to bear for some.

Recently, there has been a boom of electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles in Australia, which I think can only be a good thing for commuting parents.

Imagine a world where we can have our cake and eat it too: for those who want to sit in the car to be able to do so, without impacting us on the outside?

Of course this doesn’t take into account the broader requirements of what vehicles certain families may need as a daily driver, but isn’t it nice to think about a situation where everyone can win?

Maybe I’m just being bitter that I very often miss out on those spots closest to the gate, though I long for the day when waiting for my daughter doesn’t have to be done next to a portable heater and sound generator – not to mention those having loud conversations on their hands-free system, but that’s for another day.