Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference Proceedings, 2001, Sydney

As part of an ongoing project, this paper examines the possible safety benefits of driving in a manner that results in lower fuel consumption and emissions. Generally, a reduction in driving speed and a smoother driving style would be expected to decrease crash risk and improve fuel economy. However, a review of the literature indicated that the relationship between speed and fuel consumption or emissions is quite complex. Furthermore, some methods of encouraging a reduction in speed, such as local area traffic management, may actually increase fuel consumption. The paper reviews the effects of various driver training programs (particularly in Europe) that aim to reduce fuel consumption. The environmental benefits coupled with reduced running costs of an altered driving style may be an attractive message to some segments of the community. Such changes are also likely to be a more popular choice than measures that attempt to reduce vehicle travel, at least in the short term.