A new ’Think and Drive’ plan to transform the creative thinking of Britain’s drivers’ has been launched by the AA to coincide with the start of World Creativity & Innovation Week (April 15- 21, 2012).

A recent poll of motorists by the AA revealed that when it comes to driving habits most people will happily confess to listening to music, even getting angry with other motorists, but few take advantage of the great opportunity behind the wheel to think up new ideas.

The AA has teamed up with leading creativity expert, Andy Green of the Flexible Thinking Forum, to offer a free seven-point ’Think and Drive’ guide.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “It is a wasted opportunity that drivers think up great plans behind the wheel but rarely act on them. This is the creative equivalent of winning the pools but not bothering to cash the cheque.
 
"A car journey is one of those increasingly rare moments when you are not intensely focusing your personal attention on talking to other people, watching television, speaking on the phone, or surfing the net.
 
“Our brains have got this great ability to multi-task: while you are concentrating on your driving and focusing on making sure you arrive safely at your destination, your brain can also be working in a background mode on many other things. By letting your unconscious mind ‘incubate’ a problem, it will generate some top-quality ideas – as long as you remember to capture them. Many of my best business or campaign ideas have been dreamt up in the car,” said King.
 
In answer to the AA/Populus poll question: ’Do you have ideas while driving which you then make a note of when you stop driving?’, 19% said yes; 62% had ideas but didn’t make a note; 20% didn’t have ideas while driving.
 
The AA/Populus poll also revealed how motorists higher-up the social scale were more likely to both make plans or have ideas during their journey, while also ensuring to make a note of any creative thoughts.
 
Younger drivers under 34 tended to be in the majority in making plans or having ideas on their journey, but were among the least diligent in following-up and making note of any new thoughts.
 
Drivers in Northern Ireland led the way in being creative by making a note of any new ideas, but were also among the least inspired when behind the wheel, with some 20% of drivers there confessing to not having any ideas while driving.
 
The survey also revealed that while driving alone 89% listen to the radio or CDs, and nearly a third get annoyed with the traffic or other drivers.
 
 
The AA ‘Think and Drive’ tips for boosting your creativity while driving include:
 
1.
Define your problem as a question. Then challenge yourself to ask better quality questions.
2.
Forget about your question. Concentrate on your driving.
3.
Add variety to your journey.
4.
Use unfamiliar triggers on your journey to nudge your thinking.
5.
Capture your ideas; otherwise they will disappear, often forgotten forever.
6.
Keep your ideas in your own ‘Ideas Log book’.
7.
Congratulate yourself on completing your journey safely while also making full use of the creative opportunity. Go on with your day in a positive frame of mind.
 
Commenting on the launch of the new Guide, King added: “All of us need new ideas to cope in these difficult times. You can use the insight from our Guide, while driving safely, to transform your creative potential to put you in the driving seat in your life.”

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