Driver-centric approaches to lower traffic emissions
The transition away from fossil fuel-based transport is not something that can happen overnight. “Even if we banned all new diesel cars tomorrow, there would still be older diesel, and of course older petrol engines, on the roads for years to come,” notes MODALES project coordinator Andrew Winder from ERTICO – ITS Europe in Belgium.
Reducing pollution from older vehicles
The aim of the EU-funded MODALES project was to reduce pollution from older vehicles currently on the road. The work built on a previous project called ecoDriver, which looked at how better driving habits could save fuel, and thus reduce emissions. MODALES expanded this scope, by taking into account brake and tyre use. Going too fast around corners, or braking or accelerating suddenly for example, not only excessively uses up fuel, but also wears down tyres and brake pads, emitting harmful particulates. Evidence of the effects of different types of driving behaviour on emissions was gathered via on-road trials and laboratory tests. The project then launched an awareness campaign that was disseminated through automobile clubs across Europe, along with a social media campaign in 11 languages. Three different 15-minute training videos were also developed. “These were mostly aimed at simple things that drivers can do to save emissions and fuel, such as reducing the need for sudden braking,” explains Winder.
Technology to encourage low-emission driving
In parallel, a smartphone app was developed to complement the training videos. The app has a scoring algorithm that assesses how the driver is performing in real time, providing feedback and an overall driving score based on data from the vehicle’s on-board diagnostics (OBD), smartphone data and contextual data (weather, traffic and road characteristics). “A pool of volunteers across seven countries then tested this app over a period of a few months,” adds Winder. “From this, we were able to gather data, and assess whether driving performances had improved.” While the principal focus has been on driving behaviour, the project also examined the potential for retrofitting older diesel vehicles with emission-reducing technology. While technically feasible, the cost-effectiveness strongly depends on the vehicle type and age. The team also looked at improving the use of OBD data, and conducted a study of inspection and maintenance protocols. Recommendations designed to harmonise inspections and tackle the illegal tampering of vehicles were published. “Our training could be used by haulage companies to train up drivers, or be used in driving schools.”
Taking account of pollution from brakes and tyres
The project team found that use of the app resulted in some significant reductions in predicted NOx particle emissions. However, in other places the impact of using the app was minimal, or even in some cases negative. “The data revealed broad disparities between countries and age groups,” says Winder. Overall, though, combined journey scores were improved by up to 17 %, underlining the potential of the app to reduce emissions in older cars. The project also helped to underline the importance of taking into account pollution from brakes and tyres – not just fuel consumption and exhaust emissions – when assessing driving behaviour. This is particularly relevant in the longer term with more electric and other ‘zero-emission’ vehicles, which will still have particulate emissions from brakes and tyres. These are findings that the team hopes to continue disseminating, and that could be integrated into OBD in the future as well as improved brake and tyre development.
Keywords
MODALES, emission, traffic, pollution, vehicle, tyres, brakes
