Metro Vancouver is recruiting 200 drivers for a seven-week driving study to reduce fuel consumption, save money and cut air emissions.
The Metro Vancouver Smart Drive Challenge aims to get drivers to use 15 per cent less fuel through efficient driving techniques and feedback from a “smart” device connected to the vehicle’s computer. The wireless device tracks anonymized fuel consumption and vehicle movement information, which is displayed daily on an online dashboard.
For the first three weeks, participants will drive normally while the device collects baseline data. Then, participants will watch a 30-minute online training course and during the last three weeks of the study, participants will endeavour to apply efficient driving techniques to reduce fuel consumption.
“Personal transportation is one of the biggest contributors to climate change and degraded urban air quality,” said Derek Corrigan, chair of Metro Vancouver’s climate action committee.
“Studies like this are an important part of meeting our greenhouse gas reduction targets of 33 per cent below 2007 levels by 2020 and 80 per cent below 2007 levels by 2050.”
The goal of the study is to better understand the effectiveness of training and feedback in helping drivers reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Following the study, results will be analysed and used as a basis for developing future programs.
For more information or to apply, visit SmartDriveMetroVancouver.ca.
