"It really is a new and cheaper way of driving"

Rob Wagenvoord does not drive very often and when he does, he tries to be economical. In July, he took part in a driving course called ‘het nieuwe rijden’ (the new way of driving). ‘I was curious about what the new way of driving was, so I signed up. Another reason to sign up was the promise to drive more economically.’

Brake in a more controlled way

‘The new way of driving takes some getting used to. You have to remember to brake in a more controlled way, so you need less acceleration afterwards. You also have to navigate turns faster, in a higher gear. I always used to take turns in second gear, but now you are instructed to take them while in third gear.’

Smart traffic lights

Rob learned how he could reduce his fuel consumption by slowing down sooner at traffic lights. ‘In Maastricht it seems like traffic lights are only on green for three seconds. When you see that the light is green, you speed up a little to make sure you make it through the green light. Nine times out of ten, the light still turns red and you have to slam on the brakes.’ Rob now has the solution for this. ‘I think it would be useful to be able to see at a distance how long the light will remain on green or red. This would mean you don't have to brake or accelerate unnecessarily.’

Adapting

Rob already knew that slamming down on the breaks and quickly accelerating contributes to CO₂ emissions. ‘It’s a matter of getting used to it and remembering that you shouldn’t try to speed through the green light, or quickly claim the right of way on the roundabout. When the next generation of drivers are taught to take turns in third gear, they will not have to adapt to learning this after the fact. Ultimately, we will all learn the new method.’