Examining gender-linked vehicle emissions with a GPS-enabled data collection tool

Abstract

This paper describes the development and application of an activity-based data collection tool for the assessment of gender-linked vehicle exhaust emissions. The developed methodology implies the collection of activity and travel data on a PDA (personal digital assistant) with built-in GPS receiver. By converting the GPS-based travel data into emissions, good estimates can be made of the exhausts produced by every vehicle trip in the travel survey. Together with information on the gender of the driver this method offers new insights into the differences of men and women towards the environmental impact of their travel behavior. Policymakers can benefit from this information and adjust their policy campaigns to the right characteristics of the target group. In a pilot study in Belgium the differences in travel behavior and vehicle emissions between men and women were examined with the developed methodology. Men seemed to cover larger distances per trip than women, but women, on the other hand, emit significantly more emissions per kilometer, caused by a different driving behavior. These results will complement the results from other travel behavior studies where conclusions about gender differences in driving behavior and emissions are usually unsubstantiated.