Psychologists ‘nudged’ double the normal number of drivers into turning off their engines at a busy Canterbury level crossing by making simple changes to road signs.
Drivers leaving their engines idling for long periods contribute to air pollution, waste fuel, and produce noise and fumes that harm the environment and public health.
But the researchers found that making simple changes to road signs at the level crossing could prompt drivers to consciously reflect on their behaviour, leading to 50% of people turning off their engines.
Psychological research has shown that subtle cues that someone’s behaviour is being observed can increase their compliance with instructions.
In the first part of their study, Professor Dominic Abrams and Dr Tim Hopthrow, of the University’s School of Psychology, found that greater numbers of motorists waiting at the level crossing could be encouraged to switch off their engines when a pair of ‘watching eyes’ were added to existing signs instructing drivers to do this when the barriers were down.
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