New Year's Resolutions
Work Wise UK and the RAC Foundation have developed ten top tips for
commuting smarter which could provide some suggestions for New Year's Resolutions for 2008:
1.Travel at a different time - while the majority of rush hour commuting
happens between 7:30am and 8:30am, peak commuter hours get earlier as the
week progresses - we get up earlier but also leave work earlier with the
weekend on the horizon.
According to the RAC Foundation, even if just a few motorists can make
their journeys out of peak hours, it will make a big difference to
congestion. (Source: RAC Foundation/Trafficmaster Congestion Report May
2007
2. Telecommute - Work from Home: nine million UK households now have
broadband, while new mobile systems such as wi-fi make it possible to
securely access business networks from almost anywhere. If all commuters
could work just one day a week at home, commuter numbers would fall 20 per
cent. This would reduce road congestion and public transport over-crowding
significantly.
3. Teleconference - Use on-line tools to replace conferences and meetings,
to cut back on travel during the business day. Tools include Online
Communities of Practice - on-line groups where people exchange ideas and
best practice; wikis - collaborative web pages that allow people to
brainstorm ideas without meeting face-to face; and video conferencing
through affordable web-cams rather than expensive video suites.
4. Take a detour - The RAC Foundation/Trafficmaster Congestion Index found
that using less obvious routes to get from A to B can save commuters hours
simply by avoiding congestion on their habitual route. (Source: RAC
Foundation/Trafficmaster Congestion Report May 2007
5.Try two wheels instead of four - commuters could shave up to three hours
off their weekly commutes by switching from four wheels to two, according
to the RAC Foundation's analysis of government statistics* which shows
that in almost every region of the UK, motorcycle and scooter commuters
are spending less time travelling to and from work than workers travelling
by car, bus or coach, with the biggest savings available in Central London
and the East of England. (Source: Labour Force Survey Statistics 2007)
6. Try peddle power instead - millions of people spend hours at the gym
either before or after work. Why not combine exercise with commuting? Not
only will it make you fitter, it could save you money both in travelling
and gym subscriptions. The average commute is 8.7miles - most people could
cycle this distance in less than half an hour.
7. Make sure your car is up to the job - Next week will see millions of
people travelling home from work in the dark for the first time in seven
months and many of them will be ill prepared. While huge investment in
research and development by lighting manufacturers means that lights on
modern vehicles are more effective and efficient than ever, they are
useless if drivers don't use them, check them and maintain them. In 2005,
over one million cars failed the annual MoT test because of lighting
defects.
Source: DfT Data tables 2006
8. Get physical - instead of gnashing teeth at the red light, take the
opportunity to do a few stretches or a shoulder-shake to get rid of
tension and aggression.
9. Do random acts of kindness - drop the "thousand yard stare" and let
someone out in front of you. Doing good for others creates an enormous
sense of wellbeing and reduces commuting stress.
10. Give someone a lift - overcome "NIMFS" (Not in My Front Seat) and
share the journey to work with a friend. Having someone to vent the stress
of the day's work on means less road rage, while car-sharing cuts
congestion.
Further details about Work Wise UK can be found on the website
January 3, 2008
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