Navigation Systems Positive Environmental Impact

22 April 2009, 9:27pm

Chicago – April 22, 2009 – NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data for in-vehicle, portable, wireless and enterprise solutions, has revealed the results of a proprietary research study designed to assess the consumer impact of everyday use of navigation devices. Previous studies in this field focused more on “getting lost” scenarios versus the benefits to drivers of navigation system use during the course of normal driving habits.

In a three pronged study which evaluated drivers without a navigation system, drivers with a navigation system, and drivers with a navigation system that included traffic, the results revealed that those using navigation devices 1) drove shorter distances and 2) spent less time driving. Conducted in two metropolitan areas of Germany – Dusseldorf and Munich – the study also showed that drivers with navigation devices had a 12% increase in fuel efficiency, as measured by litres of fuel consumed per 100 kms. Fuel consumption among those drivers using navigation fell from 8.3 to 7.3 l/100kms.

This increase in fuel economy translates to an estimated .91 tons (metric) decrease in carbon dioxide emissions every year per driver, or a 24% decrease over the amount that the average non-navigation user emits per year. Stated in terms of grams/km the reduction equates to 25 g/km per car. And with an annualised decrease in driving of nearly 2500 fewer kilometres per driver, 1.19 million tyres would also be saved from disposal in Germany due to the decrease in wear and tear.

The participants, who had not previously owned a navigation device, had their vehicles outfitted with a logging device which was used to track the route they drove and their driving speed. The study results reflect more than 2,100 individual trips, over 20,000 kilometres and almost 500 hours on the road.

The study was conducted by NuStats, a social science research firm which has established itself over the past 25 years as a leader in population surveys and qualitative research pertaining to transportation in general, and personal mobility and transit use in particular.

The findings also revealed additional areas of learning:

• Reductions in trip times and distance driven increased over time: There was a marked “learning curve” with the use of navigation devices; greater decreases in trip times and distance driven were seen in the latter half of the study

• The addition of traffic information further reduced trip times and distance driven: The largest reductions were seen for participants using a navigation device with traffic during peak travel times (7:00 – 8:59 AM; 4:00 – 6:59 PM).

• Greater reductions were seen during non-routine trips: When traveling a route other than what was customarily traveled, the reductions in trip times and lengths were also higher

“With the robust methodology behind this study, we have confidence that these results are representative of a trend that globally has often been implied, but not previously proven in the realm of everyday use. Consumers can enjoy the advantages of navigation not only in relation to a more positive driving experience, but also in terms of the highly positive impact it can have on the environment,” says Judson Green, president and chief executive officer, NAVTEQ.

NAVTEQ

Geo: International