Driving in the Philippines is no joke. When Filipino motorists aren’t stuck in horrendous traffic, there are many other challenges they have to face such as poor road conditions, inconsiderate jaywalkers, and even unpredictable weather. Every drive in the Philippines can feel like an emotional roller coaster, but do the feelings of a driver affect their performance on the road? Is there merit in understanding the different motivations and experiences of Filipino drivers that contribute to driving performance?
This is what Shell tried to find out through the Shell Driving Experiment, a groundbreaking worldwide study that uses cutting-edge emotion tracking technology, ChatBots, mobile apps, and weather and traffic information to uncover how the emotions of drivers affect their driving performance. Shell worked with experts from Goldsmiths, University of London, to monitor data points gathered from almost 15,000 journeys from participants across 11 countries in order to measure the driver performance of each country.
The results of the study were revealed during the ‘What Drives You’ launch event on February 27, which featured interactive installations and a panel of specialists discussing the research findings. The panelists included Cleary Ahern, a Doctoral Researcher from Goldsmiths, University of London. Ahern was then joined by other panelists composed of subject matter experts including motoring enthusiast and actor Jericho Rosales, champion racer Michele Bumagarner, and health and diet guru Nadine Tengco.
Uncovering the Filipino driver and their personality types
In the Philippines, more than 300 participants logged nearly two thousand journeys from three key areas – Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao – to help uncover the nature of Filipino drivers. The data from these journeys revealed that the Philippines achieved the highest driving performance score among all the countries that participated in the global study. This means that Filipinos have smoother journeys (less incidents of harsh acceleration and harsh braking) and are more efficient than other participating countries such as Malaysia, Germany, and the Netherlands.
The results of the study also showed that contrary to a common local stereotype, gender has no significant influence on driving performance, with personality type more likely to predict your driving style. Two high-performing personality types among Filipino drivers were uncovered by the study: 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.
The Modern Man is the type of driver that has a unique combination of sensitive and ambitious personality traits, leading to their ability to maintain a well-balanced emotional state behind the wheel. They adapt well to any situation in life and exercise cautiousness on the road to achieve outstanding driver performance scores. The Gamma Woman on the other hand is known for her openness and emotional stability both on and off the road, leading to exceptional driving performance scores.
The other factors that come into play
Family has always played a big part in the lives of Filipinos, and this was apparent in the Shell Driving Experiment. Evidence linking the presence of children and additional passengers in the car to better driving performance was consistent throughout the study. A different result was found in other countries, with drivers in Germany performing better when they are alone in the car.
The Shell Driving Experiment also confirmed that stress is a constant emotion felt by Filipinos on the road. Destination is also another factor, with findings showing that drivers who are on their way to work are more stressed than those who are on the road for other purposes.
Even the food we eat plays a role in the driving performance of Filipinos. Participants of the study who reported feeling hungry during their journey had lower driver performance scores.
Giving importance to every ride
“The Shell Driving Experiment is part of Shell’s efforts to understand the changing needs of our customers,” shares Anthony Lawrence Yam, Vice President for Retail at PIlipinas Shell. “This helps us create better products and services, such as developing new fuels like Shell V-Power with DYNAFLEX Technology and the expansion of our non-fuel offers at Shell Select, which are relevant in improving the driving experience of Filipinos. At the end of the day, our goal is making life’s journeys better for every Filipino on the road.”
By providing quality fuel products and services to motorists around the world, Shell gained its foothold as a global leader in power and energy. It pioneers next generation technology in developing new sources for a reliable energy mix, producing smarter products as well as promoting smarter use. Shell strives to build smarter infrastructure and provide energy efficient engineering solutions that promote clean and efficient transport and sustainable mobility.
Through finding out and understanding what really matters most for Filipinos, Shell continues its mission to enable people to go well on the road, wherever they want to go.