ABSTRACT
As has been discussed previously in this book, it has long been known that a person’s driving style has a significant effect on the fuel economy of the vehicle (e.g. Evans 1979; Waters and Laker 1980). Indeed, estimates of the difference between the consumption rates of different driving styles run as high as 30% (Bingham et al. 2012). The academic community is now largely aware of the source of these differences, at least in terms of the individual behaviours that characterise fuel-efficient driving (in particular, gear change timings, and acceleration and deceleration strategies; e.g. Barkenbus 2010; Hooker 1988). Moreover, it seems that the general public are generally aware of these behaviours, and report a willingness to perform them (Chapter 3). What is less clear is the relationship between individual drivers’ cognitive strategies, their overall awareness and their fuel economy.
