The ACMF Presents Renault's Eco-Driving Simulator at the MEDEC Show

PARIS – March 10, 2009: The Automobile Club M�dical de France (ACMF) is an association of doctors and health professionals founded by Dr Andr� Soubiran in 1952. The objectives of the association, which has around 20,000 members, are the same as those of all Automobile Clubs. Eco-driving is a response to the collective need to emit less CO2 while satisfying growing demands for mobility. The eco-attitude, which should be taught to all users aims to encourage drivers to change their behaviour at the wheel. Managing mobility does not mean restricting it but making ecologically responsible choices. Doctors need a car for their work, so they are naturally keen to learn eco-driving techniques:

to cut emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants causing a wide range of diseases;

to make savings, by changing their behaviour on the road and consuming less energy;

to improve road safety, by reducing their speed and adopting a more relaxed driving style.

Health promotion and sustainable development are complementary concepts, since they both involve a change in lifestyle. Doctors have a key role to play in responding to public health hazards such as road accidents, noise, greenhouse gases and emissions of greenhouse gases and particulates. For this reason, the ACMF seeks to inform and train doctors in all aspects of accidentology – from prevention to medical assessments of fitness to drive and the reinsertion of victims after an accident. The association also aims to address a full range of mobility-related environmental problems and their repercussions in terms of overall health. This was the objective of the third ACMF Congress “Route et M�decine” held in November 2008 and attended by 400 people. The subject of the fiftieth ACMF national road safety conference, to be held on the morning of March 11 as part of the MEDEC, will be “mobile phones and driving”.

ECO-DRIVING: LEARNING THE RIGHT TECHNIQUES

As a responsible vehicle manufacturer, Renault is implementing innovative solutions that will enable customers to cut their fuel consumption and thus their greenhouse gas emissions. The gearshift indicator, which shows drivers the best time to change gears, is an example of how Renault is helping customers to adopt more ecological driving practices. Drivers can make a non-negligible contribution to cutting fuel consumption by “re-learning to drive”. Eco-driving lessons, supervised by an instructor show drivers how they can cut fuel consumption by up to 20% over a given route. To promote this approach, Renault has decided to deploy an eco-driving program. The content ranges from training for the general public in real conditions, as illustrated by the “ecodays” organized in Paris in October 2008 in which around 400 people took part, to sessions on a driving simulator. Almost 2,000 people had an opportunity to test the eco-driving simulator at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. And hundreds of others now have an opportunity to do the same on the simulator installed at L’Atelier Renault up to end-March 2009. Using the simulator, drivers are able to assess their driving skills and see where they can improve. The simulator will be in operation on the ACMF stand from March 11 for the duration of the MEDEC and will gradually be made more widely available.

RENAULT: A HISTORIC, SUSTAINABLE COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND TO SAFETY IN THE BROADEST SENSE

Renault eco�: the eco-label illustrating Renault’s environmental policy
With the launch of the Renault eco� and Dacia eco� eco-labels in May 2007 and October 2008, the Renault group restated its commitment to developing a range of affordable vehicles that meet high ecological standards across their entire life cycle. These vehicles are economical in terms of their performance, fuel consumption and innovative technologies. At the same time, they are eligible for tax incentives such as the ecological bonus implemented in France and other European countries.

The environmental qualities of these vehicles do not apply only to on-road use. They are also in evidence on the production line through monitoring and stringent cuts in the use of substances recognized as hazardous by the scientific community. Through its industrial hygiene laboratory, Renault has monitored more than 3,000 substances since the 1960s as part of efforts to implement responsible policies on working conditions.

Safety: A long-standing commitment expressed by the safest range on the market
Renault has the safest range of vehicles on the market. Laguna was the world’s first car to achieve the maximum score of 5 stars in EuroNCAP tests. Today, eleven vehicles, including New M�gane hatch and Modus have also achieved this score.

For many years Renault has been seeking to change driver behaviour and educate a broad public. Through the Safety for All program, rolled out in twenty countries since 2000, some ten million children have learned more about road safety. Other initiatives, on such topics as wearing seatbelts, staying alert at the wheel, speed or alcohol, reflect the Group’s efforts to contribute to avoiding accidents. Road safety is everybody’s business. It involves not just drivers, but also the employees of the Renault group and its suppliers. Renault is actively working with the authorities to educate the public and raise awareness. Looking beyond these efforts, the company is bringing its expertise to efforts to update safety regulations and standards.