Shell study: Singaporeans now more frugal

The results of a study commissioned by Royal Dutch Shell P.L.C. in January showed that Singaporean motorists have become more frugal buyers of oil due to the global economic downturn. Among 301 drivers who responded to the survey, three in four said they had become more conscious of fuel efficiency than they were in 2008. The results also showed that drivers are taking a multi-pronged approach to curb fuel costs. While a 2007 survey showed that drivers took 2.5 steps to save fuel, in 2008 they took eight steps including avoiding rapid acceleration and braking, keeping tires properly inflated, planning their trips and tuning up their engines. Drivers in Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Germany and the Netherlands were also surveyed, but motorists in Singapore were found to be most motivated by cost savings and were also the most likely to have ever checked their car’s fuel efficiency. (April 2, 2009)