It seems almost too absurdly simple to be true, but there probably is something to the notion that a car freshener can be a safety device in a car.
But if there's anything at all to the principles of aromatherapy, then that famous pine smell actually does help govern the emotions of drivers. According to aromatherapy ideals, of course, it wouldn't have its full affect unless the driver took it down from its rearview mirror perch and spread it on himself, but that's optional.
According to a new study by -- you won't be surprised to hear -- a company that markets air fresheners, drivers claim to be ''less angry and more alert when scent is added to a car environment.''
This is important because studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) arm of the U.S. government show that 100,000 crashes are caused each year by drivers falling asleep at the wheel, and that ''aggressive driving is rated as the number one traffic safety concern.''
According to the study commissioned by AroMetrics and conducted by researchers at Wheeling Jesuit University, ''drivers were more alert and experienced less fatigue when the scent of pine was added to the car interior.''
The study also revealed that drivers ''demonstrated a decreased level of anger and improved overall driving performance when exposed to strawberry and pine scents.''
Researchers conducted the study using a car simulator, exposing participants to pine and strawberry scents, and monitoring driving tendencies, including lane tracking, speed, collisions, and reaction times, as well as such behavioral factors as alertness, fatigue, anger and overall performance.
Behavior was also monitored without scent to establish control data.
Needless to say, the study used AroMetrics' new Auto Fragrance System air fresheners as the method of dispensing the scent in the simulated car environment.
As part of the research, AroMetrics also surveyed a sample of more than 2,100 U.S. adults about their air freshener buying habits.
When asked to identify their primary reason for purchasing a car air freshener, 62 percent of the respondents indicated they do so ''to create a nice environment,'' compared to 38 percent who purchase them primarily ''to eliminate odor.''
Most tellingly, four of every five respondents strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the statement, ''When my car smells good, I feel better.''
Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, the lead project researcher and an associate professor at Wheeling Jesuit University, says ''Studies show the U.S. has more than 115 million commuters and the average American spends 2 1/2 hours in his or her car each day. Clearly, as we spend more time in our cars, we want that environment to be as enjoyable as possible. Something as simple as a car air freshener can make us less angry and more alert and create that nice environment we're looking for in our cars.''
The AroMetrics Auto Fragrance System is the newest product from Eagle One appearance products and the Valvoline family of brands. More information on the company's products can be found at www.aromatics.com.
But if there's anything at all to the principles of aromatherapy, then that famous pine smell actually does help govern the emotions of drivers. According to aromatherapy ideals, of course, it wouldn't have its full affect unless the driver took it down from its rearview mirror perch and spread it on himself, but that's optional.
According to a new study by -- you won't be surprised to hear -- a company that markets air fresheners, drivers claim to be ''less angry and more alert when scent is added to a car environment.''
This is important because studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) arm of the U.S. government show that 100,000 crashes are caused each year by drivers falling asleep at the wheel, and that ''aggressive driving is rated as the number one traffic safety concern.''
According to the study commissioned by AroMetrics and conducted by researchers at Wheeling Jesuit University, ''drivers were more alert and experienced less fatigue when the scent of pine was added to the car interior.''
The study also revealed that drivers ''demonstrated a decreased level of anger and improved overall driving performance when exposed to strawberry and pine scents.''
Researchers conducted the study using a car simulator, exposing participants to pine and strawberry scents, and monitoring driving tendencies, including lane tracking, speed, collisions, and reaction times, as well as such behavioral factors as alertness, fatigue, anger and overall performance.
Behavior was also monitored without scent to establish control data.
Needless to say, the study used AroMetrics' new Auto Fragrance System air fresheners as the method of dispensing the scent in the simulated car environment.
As part of the research, AroMetrics also surveyed a sample of more than 2,100 U.S. adults about their air freshener buying habits.
When asked to identify their primary reason for purchasing a car air freshener, 62 percent of the respondents indicated they do so ''to create a nice environment,'' compared to 38 percent who purchase them primarily ''to eliminate odor.''
Most tellingly, four of every five respondents strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the statement, ''When my car smells good, I feel better.''
Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, the lead project researcher and an associate professor at Wheeling Jesuit University, says ''Studies show the U.S. has more than 115 million commuters and the average American spends 2 1/2 hours in his or her car each day. Clearly, as we spend more time in our cars, we want that environment to be as enjoyable as possible. Something as simple as a car air freshener can make us less angry and more alert and create that nice environment we're looking for in our cars.''
The AroMetrics Auto Fragrance System is the newest product from Eagle One appearance products and the Valvoline family of brands. More information on the company's products can be found at www.aromatics.com.