AVR301 - Understanding Drivers’ Eco-Driving Knowledge, Confidence, and Misconceptions Across Real-World Driving Scenarios

Overview

This project examines drivers’ knowledge, confidence, and misconceptions about eco-driving across different real-world driving situations. The study will use a scenario-based survey to assess whether drivers can correctly apply eco-driving principles in contexts such as urban stop–start traffic, highways, roundabouts, intersections, uphill/downhill driving, congestion, following distance, idling, and acceleration behaviour. The topic is interdisciplinary, combining psychology, driver behaviour, human factors, road safety, sustainable transport, and emerging AI-based driver coaching. The findings will support the development of context-specific feedback strategies for a future AI eco-driving coach by identifying where drivers most need guidance.

This project is not attached to an existing funded project.

Research engagement

The student will assist with designing the survey, including demographic questions and realistic driving scenarios using images or frames from driving videos. They will also contribute to developing response options, and reasoning questions to assess drivers’ eco-driving knowledge and application. The student will help prepare the ethics application, including participant information, consent materials, survey procedures, and recruitment approach. Subject to ethics approval, the student will assist with survey administration, data cleaning, basic analysis, interpretation of findings, and preparation of a short research report.

Research activities

The student will undertake activities including design of the scenario-based eco-driving survey, developing realistic driving scenarios and response options, assisting with the ethics application, supporting survey setup and administration, cleaning and organising survey data, and contributing to basic data analysis and interpretation. The student may also help prepare summary findings for a short report.

The student will work primarily with Dr Mohammed Elhenawy and prof Andry as required. They may also engage with researchers in AVR3 who have expertise in driver behaviour, human factors, road safety, and sustainable transport.

Research skills

The student will gain skills in research design, survey development, ethics application preparation, and participant recruitment planning. They will also develop practical experience in designing scenario-based questions, assessing driver knowledge and misconceptions, managing survey data, conducting basic quantitative analysis, and interpreting behavioural findings. The experience will strengthen the student’s understanding of driver behaviour, eco-driving, human factors, and sustainable transport.

Outcomes

The aim of this work is to examine how well drivers understand and apply eco-driving principles across realistic driving situations. The project will identify where drivers have knowledge gaps, misconceptions, or misplaced confidence when choosing eco-driving behaviours in contexts such as urban traffic, highways, intersections, congestion, hills, following distance, idling, and acceleration.

The expected outcome is a scenario-based survey that can measure drivers’ eco-driving knowledge, decision-making, confidence, and reasoning. The findings will help identify the driving situations where drivers most need support and will inform the future design of context-specific coaching messages for an AI eco-driving coach.

Skills and experience

The student should have an interest in driver behaviour, road safety, sustainability, human factors, or behaviour-change research. An ideal candidate would be a psychology student with strong written communication skills, attention to detail, and an interest in survey-based research. Prior experience with survey design, or basic quantitative analysis would be useful but is not essential, as these skills can be developed during the project. The student should be comfortable working with scenario-based questions and interested in understanding how drivers make decisions in real-world driving situations.

Start date

2 November, 2026

End date

19 February, 2027

Location

AVR3 at Kelvin Grove, O Block, A Wing

Additional information

The student will receive guidance from Dr Mohammed Elhenawy and relevant AVR3 researchers. Resources will include survey design support, ethics application guidance, scenario-development support, and assistance with data cleaning and basic analysis. The student may also receive support in using survey tools and in preparing findings for a short report

Keywords

• eco-driving
• driver behaviour
• driver decision-making

Contact

Mohammed Elhenawy

+61 7 3138 7682

mohammed.elhenawy@qut.edu.au