When you’re driving or commuting on the roads of the country recently tagged as having “the worst traffic in the world” by a GPS-based navigation app and sixth among 58 countries with the most time spent being stuck in a congested thoroughfare, going from one place to another can be extremely stressful.
Traffic jams in the Philippines, particularly in high density and highly urbanized areas like Metro Manila, are a regular experience commuters and motorists have to put up with. Most likely, everyone has other more productive, gratifying and important things they would rather do than being stuck in an idle vehicle, but sadly, the traveling situation makes them impossible to be accomplished.
In a bid to find out the emotional impacts of traffic in the Philippines, petroleum company Shell commissioned Edelman Berland, an independent global market research firm, to survey 1000 Filipino motorists nationwide.
The study, dubbed “Shell FuelSave Do More,” revealed that 91 percent of respondents between ages 18 to 50 “get anxious when stuck in traffic.”
“Many Filipinos feel they have less time to do the things they enjoy, which causes them to end up missing out on a lot of important life moments such as spending time with their families, having dinner with friends, or even watching their favorite television shows,” explains Pilipinas Shell vice president for retail Anthony Lawrence Yam.
The anxiety motorists feel, according to Shell FuelSave brand manager Maan Abas, primarily stems from their not being able to spend time with their family; significant considering that 96 percent of those polled cited that “spending time with their family is very important to them.”
Furthermore, Filipino motorists also feel anxious about saving on fuel.
“They feel that it’s important to be efficient when they drive, but they are not very sure on how to be fuel-efficient and that’s causing them anxiety,” posits Shell Fuels scientist Mae Ascan.
The study even compared the anxiety motorists feel when they see the red light on their fuel gauge as higher than going for a job interview or making a public speech.
That being said, the survey also discovered that nearly 2/3 or roughly 67 percent of respondents agreed that changing the way they drive could give them more time to enjoy more things in life, and almost all said that “their lives would be positively impacted if they could make their fuel last longer and had to fill up less.”
“Filipino motorists believe that if they can start changing their habits in driving, combined with Shell FuelSave, they will be able to achieve efficiency, which then translates to them being able to do more in a day,” expounds Abas.
Aside from providing fuels that promise efficiency – such as Shell FuelSave – Shell also provides basic and ingenious tips on how drivers can make their fuel last longer. Some of the ways to make the most out of every drop of fuel include (1) checking the tire pressure, (2) checking the fuel cap to prevent fuel evaporation, (3) driving smoothly, (4) using higher gears, (5) planning trips, and (6) avoiding excess idling.
Ascan suggests, “If you feel that you’re already stuck in traffic for more than 10 seconds, the best thing to do is turn off your engine.”
Starting them young
Believing that education about smart driving should start with the youth, Pilipinas Shell recently staged the “Fueled to Do More” challenge for college students who would be representing the country at the upcoming Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2016 on March 3 to 6.
Each participating team raced against the clock as they completed a series of tasks related to fuel efficiency.
The various Shell fuel saving tips were integrated in the challenges, which included scavenger hunt, obstacle course, puzzle solving and other mini games. Meanwhile, one station challenged the participants to figure out which common fuel efficiency methods many Filipino motorists believe were facts or myths.
Bagging the top prize was the Dark Blue team composed of students from De La Salle University and Don Bosco Technical College in Mandaluyong.
