Shell Reveals Study on Driver Behavior

Oil firm Shell unveiled on Tuesday its study that reveals one’s behavior when driving and how a person’s mood affects driving performance.

Anthony Lawrence Yam, Pilipinas Shell Vice President for Retail, said the driving experiment was part of the company’s effort to understand the needs of its customers.

“Looking at these behaviors would help us create better products and services,” he said.

Done in partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London, the study collected data from participants from 11 countries, including the Philippines.

The driving experiment used tracking technology, ChatBots, mobile apps, and weather and traffic information. The study collected data from almost 15,000 journeys made by the participants.

Through the use of an app, the drivers’ performances were scored by measuring speed, acceleration, and brake. The company explained that when there was harsh acceleration or harsh braking, the participants got lower scores. A smooth drive, on the other hand, gave higher scores to participants.

A wearable fitness tracker was provided to every participant, and each was also asked a series of questions via the ChatBot.

By recording the physical and emotional states of drivers, the researchers were able to pinpoint the factors that affect one’s driving performance.

According to Shell, the Philippines had 300 participants who have recorded almost 2,000 journeys in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao.

At the unveiling of the study in Makati City, Cleary Ahern, researcher from Goldsmiths, noted that the study showed that gender had no significant influence on driving performance.

In the Philippine setting, Shell revealed that it was evident that family plays a big part in the lives of Filipino participants. Based on the study, participants who drove with their children or who had other passengers made better driving performances. This finding was the opposite for other nationalities. In Germany, for instance, Shell said participants have performed better when they were driving alone.

Shell also revealed that stress was a constant emotion felt by the Filipino participants. Furthermore, Filipino drivers who were on their way to work were more stressed than those who were heading somewhere else.

Food also had an effect to the drivers’ performances. Participants who said they were hungry while driving had lower scores, according to Shell. (PNA)