There are plenty of proposed legislative and technological solutions to reduce road vehicle emissions. The EU-funded MODALES project took a different approach: it focused on driver behaviour. The results are now in.
The MODALES project, which ended earlier this year, analysed the impact of driving behaviour on vehicles’ carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide emissions.
In turn, MODALES developed a series of practical and affordable measures that any driver can apply immediately and at all stages of vehicle operation.
The combined use of MODALES training material and its mobile application reduced individual drivers’ emissions by up to 60% for carbon monoxide, 30% for nitrogen oxides, and 7% for carbon dioxide.
RoadMasters, IRU’s risk and talent management system, and the IRU Academy eco-driving course already teach fuel efficiency techniques while emphasising road safety and the environment. Furthermore, the IRU Green Compact, which also includes a driver training pillar, provides a collective road map to decarbonise the road transport industry by 2050.
IRU Director EU Advocacy Raluca Marian explained how the MODALES project expanded these efforts, “We joined the MODALES project as it focused on innovative and complementary solutions to enhance low-emission practices for all types of road vehicles.”
“MODALES allows us to address three main emission sources – the powertrain, brakes and tyres – and combines them with driving behaviour to create a more sustainable transport sector,” she added.
For the past three years, MODALES project partners monitored the driving behaviours of test drivers, analysed how typical driving patterns affected vehicle emissions, and identified the most effective practices to reduce emissions.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 815189.