DRIVERS looking to escape the hot weather by using their car’s air con could face £80 on-the-spot fines.

The RAC has warned motorists to be cautious when trying to cool down.

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Drivers caught using their car air con while sitting idle can face on-the-spot fines

Motorists can expect to be issued fines of up to £80 Credit: Creative Images Lab

With the UK facing temperatures of up to 40C this week, escaping to your car to bask in a few minutes of cooling air con may seem like a great idea.

However, motorists caught sitting idle with the engine running are being warned they could face fines under emission laws.

Leaving the car engine running whilst remaining stationary in the vehicle causes air pollution, according to the RAC.

Those caught leaving the engine on unnecessarily can expect a standard fine of £40 if caught by the police.

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The fine increases to £80 if motorists are caught by a civil enforcement officer.

Those who pay the fines quickly can see the cost halved, however some local authorities may impose larger fines.

Islington Council in London revealed that its enforcement officers will issue larger fines to those who refuse to turn the engine off after being asked.

Motorists who leave the engine idle in these cases will face fines of £110.

RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “Air conditioning is a gamechanger in modern vehicles, making otherwise uncomfortable journeys by road a genuinely pleasant experience.

“We even advise those driving vehicles without air-con to consider delaying any non-essential trips this week until the heatwave passes.

“But while we’re all desperate to stay cool, just sitting in the car with the engine and air-conditioning running and going nowhere isn’t advisable.

“Due to the air pollution this causes, you risk a fine from a police or civil enforcement officer.”

The Conservative government did announce plans to introduce higher fines for motorists who leave engines and air-conditioning running in 2019, but this never occurred.

The then-transport secretary, Lord Chris Grayling, said at the time that combating idling would be “an easy way to drive down dangerously high levels of pollution”.