Shell Driving Experiment

About the Shell Driving Experiment

It all began with Shell wanting to understand the journey of drivers around the world better, leading to the creation of Shell’s largest ever driving experiment: the Shell Driving Experiment.

The study used cutting-edge emotion tracking technology, ChatBots, mobile apps, and weather and traffic information to uncover how the emotions of drivers affect their performance at the wheel. Data points from over 2,000 participants across 11 countries were monitored to measure the driver performance score of motorists and how the emotions of these drivers affected their performance on the road.

Letting the numbers do the talking

With the help of the Shell App, the driving performance score of the participants were measured. Three factors determine their driver performance scores: speed, acceleration, and braking. Instances of harsh acceleration and harsh braking lower the performance score of the participants, meaning the smoother their drive is, the higher their performance score will be.

                                                    

Looking beyond the numbers

Prior to the start of the study, participants were profiled to understand different aspects of their personalities, such as their sensitivity, ambition, and cautiousness. For sensitivity, the participants’ tendency towards neuroticism was measured, with those who score high on neuroticism exhibiting higher than average driver performance scores. Ambition was measured by the participants’ level of consciousness, with higher levels again contributing to better driver performance. And lastly, drivers who demonstrated cautiousness outperformed their fellow drivers on the road.

Their biometrics were then  monitored during the duration of the study with the help of a wearable fitness tracker worn by the drivers, which worked in tandem with a series of questions asked via a ChatBot. By carefully matching the physical and emotional states of motorists while driving, Shell was able to determine the effects of internal and external factors to the driving performance of the participants.

Driving in the Philippines

In the Philippines, nearly 2,000 journeys were completed by more than 300 participants from three key areas – Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao.

To kickstart the study, a set of hypotheses were developed for testing. The hypotheses covered topics about driver performance vis-à-vis factors such as stress management, sleeping habits, food cravings, music while driving, and time and purpose of journeys.

Uncovering the Filipino driver

·         After taking the internal and external factors that affect the everyday journeys of Filipinos into consideration, the Philippines achieved the highest driving performance score across all the countries who participated in the study. This means that Filipinos have smoother journeys and are more efficient drivers than other participating countries like Malaysia, Germany, and the Netherlands.

·         Contrary to local stereotypes, the study revealed that gender has no significant influence on driving performance. The study also uncovered unique, high-performing personality types in the Philippines: the Modern Man and the Gamma Woman. These are the uniquely Filipino personality types that are shaped by both internal and About the Shell Driving Experiment

It all began with Shell wanting to understand the journey of drivers around the world better, leading to the creation of Shell’s largest ever driving experiment: the Shell Driving Experiment.

The study used cutting-edge emotion tracking technology, ChatBots, mobile apps, and weather and traffic information to uncover how the emotions of drivers affect their performance at the wheel. Data points from over 2,000 participants across 11 countries were monitored to measure the driver performance score of motorists and how the emotions of these drivers affected their performance on the road.

Letting the numbers do the talking

With the help of the Shell App, the driving performance score of the participants were measured. Three factors determine their driver performance scores: speed, acceleration, and braking. Instances of harsh acceleration and harsh braking lower the performance score of the participants, meaning the smoother their drive is, the higher their performance score will be.

                                                    

Looking beyond the numbers

Prior to the start of the study, participants were profiled to understand different aspects of their personalities, such as their sensitivity, ambition, and cautiousness. For sensitivity, the participants’ tendency towards neuroticism was measured, with those who score high on neuroticism exhibiting higher than average driver performance scores. Ambition was measured by the participants’ level of consciousness, with higher levels again contributing to better driver performance. And lastly, drivers who demonstrated cautiousness outperformed their fellow drivers on the road.

Their biometrics were then  monitored during the duration of the study with the help of a wearable fitness tracker worn by the drivers, which worked in tandem with a series of questions asked via a ChatBot. By carefully matching the physical and emotional states of motorists while driving, Shell was able to determine the effects of internal and external factors to the driving performance of the participants.

Driving in the Philippines

In the Philippines, nearly 2,000 journeys were completed by more than 300 participants from three key areas – Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao.

To kickstart the study, a set of hypotheses were developed for testing. The hypotheses covered topics about driver performance vis-à-vis factors such as stress management, sleeping habits, food cravings, music while driving, and time and purpose of journeys.

Uncovering the Filipino driver

·         After taking the internal and external factors that affect the everyday journeys of Filipinos into consideration, the Philippines achieved the highest driving performance score across all the countries who participated in the study. This means that Filipinos have smoother journeys and are more efficient drivers than other participating countries like Malaysia, Germany, and the Netherlands.

·         Contrary to local stereotypes, the study revealed that gender has no significant influence on driving performance. The study also uncovered unique, high-performing personality types in the Philippines: the Modern Man and the Gamma Woman. These are the uniquely Filipino personality types that are shaped by both internal and external factors inherent in Philippine driving conditions.

o   Modern Man – these are drivers known for their unique combination of sensitive and ambitious personality traits and their ability to maintain a well-balanced emotional state behind the wheel. Never too excited nor feeling overly low, they adapt well to any situation in life and exercise cautiousness on the road to achieve outstanding driver performance scores.

o   Gamma Woman – this personality type is apparent among the female participants of the study. They are known for their openness and emotional stability both on and off the road, leading to exceptional driving performance scores.

·         While it may not come as a surprise, the importance of family and companionship to Filipinos was also apparent in the study. Evidence linking the presence of children and additional passengers in the car during a journey to better driving performance was consistent throughout the study.

·         Stress is a constant emotion felt by Filipinos on the road. Heavy traffic may be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the reasons behind stressful driving in the Philippines, but the study also uncovered that drivers who are on their way to work are more stressed than those who are on the road for other purposes.

·         Food also plays a role in the driving performance of Filipinos. Participants who felt hungry while driving resulted in lower driving performance scorefactors inherent in Philippine driving conditions.

o   Modern Man – these are drivers known for their unique combination of sensitive and ambitious personality traits and their ability to maintain a well-balanced emotional state behind the wheel. Never too excited nor feeling overly low, they adapt well to any situation in life and exercise cautiousness on the road to achieve outstanding driver performance scores.

o   Gamma Woman – this personality type is apparent among the female participants of the study. They are known for their openness and emotional stability both on and off the road, leading to exceptional driving performance scores.

·         While it may not come as a surprise, the importance of family and companionship to Filipinos was also apparent in the study. Evidence linking the presence of children and additional passengers in the car during a journey to better driving performance was consistent throughout the study.

·         Stress is a constant emotion felt by Filipinos on the road. Heavy traffic may be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the reasons behind stressful driving in the Philippines, but the study also uncovered that drivers who are on their way to work are more stressed than those who are on the road for other purposes.

·         Food also plays a role in the driving performance of Filipinos. Participants who felt hungry while driving resulted in lower driving performance score