As a Filipino driver, we may see our community as one of the worst ones in the world. Everyday, news about car accidents and road-range events in the Philippines are seen in televisions and heard on radios. We may look at ourselves negatively but Pilipinas Shell would like to prove us wrong.

Filipino motorists face one of the most horrendous traffic situations in the world. And in certain occasions where traffic becomes light, motorists have to deal with other problems like poor road conditions, inconsiderate jaywalkers, and even the unpredictable weather. In a worldwide driving study called “The Shell Driving Experience” conducted by Shell Pilipinas together with experts from Goldsmith, University of London, the results showed that the Philippines achieved the highest driving performance score among all the countries that participated. So it may be safe to say that we are not as bad as we think.

From left to right: Shell Fuels Brand Manager Mark Malabanan, event host Boom Gonzales with panelists Goldsmith, University of London expert Cleary Ahern, health and diet guru Nadine Tengco, champion racer Michele Bumgarner, and motoring enthusiast and actor Jericho Rosales.

The result of the study was released during Shell’s “What Drives You” event which kicked off at the first ever stand-alone deli2go Cafe at Shell Bonifacio Global City. Guests were brought to Whitespace Manila in Makati City where interactive activities welcomed them.

“As part of Shell’s commitment to understanding you and the Filipinos in every journey, Shell worked with experts from Goldsmiths, University of London, to measure the driving performance score of different countries, and of course here in the Philippines, and to use emotion tracking technology to better understand different factors that actually affect the driving conditions and the driving performance of the Filipinos.” Shell Fuels Brand Manager Mark Malabanan said.

The first deli2go Cafe at Shell BGC.

300 Filipino drivers from Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao participated in the study which completed nearly 2,000 trips. Due to the heavy traffic, Filipino motorists spend an average of 60 minutes on the road with an average of 16,200 meters of distance travelled. An average driver speed of 18 km/h was shown in the study, an unsurprising result with the traffic conditions in the Philippines. But despite these factors, Filipino motorists still scored 98% average smooth trip score and an average driver efficiency score of 72%, the most positive result in the study.

Knowing The Filipino Drivers More

Aside from achieving the highest driving performance score across all the countries that participated in the study, Pilipinas Shell also discovered the factors which make a Filipino driver.

Loving road trips and going on long journeys to go popular destinations, it is evident that Filipinos love travelling together. It was shown in the study that drivers who travel with a child along or with other passengers in the car have a better driving performance than those who travel alone.

Guests were tasked to ‘drive together’ in one of the activities where they had to bring the vehicle to the Shell logo going through the maze.

Caused by the heavy traffic situation in our country, stress is one of the most common emotions that Filipino drivers feel. But one thing that might surprise is that those who drive to and for work are more stressed than those who drive for personal purposes. 

Hunger and thirst are one of the key factors that affect the Filipino drivers. Those who travel hungry or dehydrated scored lower on driving performance as they get distracted by their cravings for food and drinks.

“Just like how you need to fuel up your car before going on a drive, our body needs our own fill as well. Driving while you’re hungry, especially in this heavy traffic, can really affect your mood and focus, which can have detrimental effects to your driving.” Health and diet guru Nadine Tengco shared.

Dieticians from The Sexy Chef also entertained the guests’ questions as they lined up to grab some snacks.

Breaking The Gender Stereotype

The study also reveals that gender has no significant influence on driving performance, contrary to local stereotypes. In the study, two unique and high-performing Filipino personality types were discovered. Both types are shaped by both internal and external factors common to the driving conditions in the Philippines.

These two personality types are the Gamma Woman and the Modern Man: