Over punctual, disciplined and conscientious - Germans are seen as down-to-earth and even if this comes across as sexy as socks in sandals, say: Hey, we are super and in addition, totally efficient, as a new international study by Shell shows, who has examined the driving behavior behind the wheel. Gone are the days when you see the typical BMW or Mercedes driving Proll with flashlight, because according to Goldsmiths, University of London on behalf of Shell, Rüpel are the exception rather than the rule among German motorists. Driving a car is just a very emotional topic, as one can sometimes burst the hat-line when the person in front drives leisurely on the left lane and does not even think about releasing it. The mood expresses on one's own driving behavior. Logical!
"What many of us know from everyday life has now been scientifically substantiated by the 'Shell Drives You' study. In addition, we have demonstrated for the first time what influence personal moods can have on the ability to drive at the wheel, "says study leader Dr. med. Chris Brauer of Goldsmiths, University of London. The collected data suggest that negative mental states such as anger, fear, worry or grief as well as a lack of emotional stability among motorists in Germany contribute to more stress at the wheel. A happy and relaxed mind, on the other hand, means that motorists in this country are less stressed, distracted and, according to their own perception, safer on the road. Even lack of sleep, time pressure or too little gas disturb the efficiency of driving. Nevertheless, German is doing very well in international comparison. For example, with a 1 efficiency score 69 out of 100, German motorists are clearly better off than Turks (66), Malaysians (61), Dutch (52) and South Africans (51). Only Filipino drivers (72) drive even more anticipatory and therefore more efficient than the Germans. Must be due to the weather!
In the "Shell Drives You" study in Germany alone, almost 300.000 individual data of 267 participating motorists were recorded and evaluated within two weeks. The underlying data was obtained from a variety of sources, including tracking bracelets, the Shell app, a chat bot, or old school online questionnaires that confirmed most of the research hypotheses. "The study results encourage motorists on the one hand to live as healthy as possible and to allow enough time before and during the journey to arrive safely and relaxed," says Patrick Carré, head of the Shell petrol station business in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. "On the other hand, the study shows that it pays to pay attention to one's own mood when driving a car. Anyone who knows them and knows how to actively influence them can also have a positive effect on their own performance at the wheel. In the end, everyone has the quality of their car trips in their own hands. "So the journey is the destination. Then take a walk back and arrive relaxed and healthy.
