The study evaluated drivers without a navigation system, drivers with a navigation system, and drivers with a navigation system that included traffic information. The results revealed that those using navigation devices drove shorter distances and spent less time driving.
The research was conducted in two metropolitan areas of Germany – Dusseldorf and Munich and also showed that drivers with navigation devices had a 12% increase in fuel efficiency.
When the study results are annualised, they equate to a nearly 2,500 kilometre drop in distance driven per year per driver, and an average of €416 in savings on fuel annually per driver.
The participants, who had not previously owned a navigation device, had their vehicles fitted 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 kilometers and almost 500 hours on the road.
It was conducted by NuStats, a social science research firm.
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