Eco Drivers not Eco Warriors

A story about how the head rules the heart

Lynn Moir, Energy Saving Trust

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Campaign objectives

Short term: Reduce carbon emissions from cars by accelerating the uptake of eco-driving techniques amongst motorists in Scotland.

Long term: Adoption of eco-driving techniques and reduction of carbon emissions by influencing transport choice by purchasing lower CO2 emitting cars.

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What is eco driving?

1. Shift to as high a gear as soon possible: this reduces fuel consumption, change up between 2000 and 2500 rpm.

2. Anticipate road conditions and drive more smoothly.

3. Maintain a steady speed in as high a gear as possible.

4. Drive a little slower than your normal speed

plus 6 more tips….

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Who do we target?

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Join the Journey

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Radio ad

Stuck in Traffic

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Some unexpected PR coverage!

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How successful have we been?So far each burst has reached 1.1 million drivers approx 50% driving population and of those aware 15% have changed their driving behaviour.

Overall one in ten Scottish drivers say the advertising has influenced their driving

• for half of these it meant driving a little slower or shifting to a higher gear more quickly• for more than half, this was as a result of the advertising• and for most of these, the advertising was influential or crucial

That’s 202,000 drivers adopting eco driving.

Getting to a higher proportion of long distance commuters.

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What Changes have they Made?

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0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Keeping tyres at optimum pressures

Avoiding making short journeys of under a mile ortwo by car, going by other means

Driving away immediately when starting from coldrather than running the engine first

Switching off rather than idling if stationary formore than a minute or so

Try to shift to a higher gear as soon as possible

Driving a little slower than your normal speed

% Respondents

Mar-09

Jul-09

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What does that mean for carbon and the economy?We are in year 3 of a 3 year programme and are finalising our carbon savings for this programme.

Eco driving can save a driver 15% on fuel/CO2.

If everyone in Scotland adopted eco-driving techniques, motorists could save around 820,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year - the equivalent of taking 268,000 cars off the road.

Scottish Motorists could save £364 million per year by eco driving (based on £1.10 petrol price)

But it doesn’t stop there - next step…

Fuel Efficient Vehicles

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This is what I know works…

Design your campaign around the behaviour. Think about where and when the behaviour takes place.

Try not to separate messaging and action – behaviour change that can take place as soon as the message is understood has highest chance of success.

Focus on the main motivation for your audience even if its not yours.

Don’t ask people to do too much at once – but hook them in and keep communicating with them.

Keep reminding them until it becomes habitual behaviour or until your campaign finances run out!

Think long-term and how one behaviour can lead into another.