The COAST road to safer, greener driving

A road safety partnership initiative between Wirral Council and Merseytravel has resulted not just in better and more skilled drivers, but also a reduction in damaging carbon emissions.

The Eco Driving Course was partially-funded by the Road Safety Trust and delivered in a number of locations across Wirral to Merseytravel’s Transport Network Performance Team as part of Wirral’s award-winning ‘Mind Your Business’ road safety scheme.

The course used the COAST approach - Concentration, Observation, Anticipation, Space and Time. This style of driving means the driver reduces the risk of collision, and also reduces their carbon footprint because it means travelling in a more fuel-efficient manner.

For organisations such as Merseytravel, this can also help reduce costs of things such as fuel, insurance premiums, maintenance due to general wear and tear and costs related to being involved in a collision. Evidence from the assessment showed that in some cases miles per gallon went from 47.8 on the first drive to 61.3 on the second drive after coaching.

Feedback from the drivers that took part found that 96% are applying their newly-learned techniques at work, with one participant saying: “It really helps you to understand how to get the best out of your driving,” while another commented: “I really enjoyed the course, it helped improve efficient driving techniques.”

Councillor Liz Grey who is Chair Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee, said: “When we declared a Climate Emergency in Wirral nearly three years ago we made a pledge to ensure our environmental commitments are reflected in every council service area and to spread the word to partners, contractors and private businesses across the borough.

If you would like to know more on the Eco Driving Assessments or what the “Mind Your Business” project from Wirral Councils Road Safety Team can do for business, please email roadsafety@wirral.gov.uk or visit the council website.