SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – With winter comes the inversion along the Wasatch Front, and the polluted air trapped inside sloshes around like a soup until a storm blows through to clear the air out.

UCAIR Executive Director Thom Carter said there are things Utahns can do to help clear the air – starting with the Clear the Air Challenge.

Now in its 11th year, the Clear the Air Challenge is a program that aims to make drivers aware of where their mobile emissions come from, track them, and then see how to reduce them, Carter said.

“If you’re driving everywhere, can you move to transit?” he said. “Can you get on a bike or a scooter? Can you also, maybe, telework? Are there options?”

Residents can go to cleartheairchallenge.org where they can register for the challenge. They’ll be prompted to use a trip logger that will track distances and modes of travel.

It even calculates how much money is saved by using alternative methods of travel or by combining multiple errands into one trip.

Carter said the easiest step drivers can take is to be idle-free. This means turning the ignition off when sitting inside the car.

“We waste 3 billion gallons of gasoline idling every year,” he said. “That’s about $7 billion.”

“Let’s just turn off your car,” he added. “It’s going to help the air. It’s going to save you gas. It’s going to save you money. And everybody wins.”