Short-term effects of training in economical driving: Passenger comfort and driver acceleration behavior

A field study was undertaken to determine whether bus passenger comfort is influenced by driving style, especially the difference expected to occur after training of drivers in economical (fuel efficient) driving. Data was gathered by the means of a passenger questionnaire, distributed on board city buses, as well as by measuring the mean acceleration and deceleration levels of the drivers during the same trips, before and after training. Therefore, the subjective views of the passengers could be compared to objective acceleration data. It was found that after training of drivers, which resulted in very small changes in driving style, passengers experienced their bus riding as slightly more uncomfortable, noisy, jerky and dangerous. These dimensions were also found to be strongly intercorrelated, and determined to a part by the behavior of the drivers. The reason for the change could be that the drivers had only used one facet of the fuel-efficient driving style; strong accelerations. However, the driving en route was still rather different from that taught during training, i.e. there was very little change, if any. From the correlations between comfort ratings and acceleration and deceleration, it may be predicted that a full-blown fuel-efficient driving style would result in a worse experienced comfort. Given these results, training in fuel-efficient driving for drivers of commercial vehicles who carry passengers should not stress the acceleration part.