Travel Behaviour of Car Users During the UK Fuel Crisis and Insights into Car Dependence

Abstract

This chapter describes the results of a mailback questionnaire survey of car users undertaken immediately after the fuel crisis. It starts by briefly summarising what is known about car user behaviour and what further understanding might be gained from a survey at the time of the fuel crisis. The chapter explains how the survey information was processed into a form amenable to analysis and describes the sample of responses received. A report on car dependence noted that: At the time of first purchase, the car may be seen as a luxury. However, once bought, it encourages changes in behaviour and circumstances which in effect turn it into a necessity. The chapter discusses reasons given for not changing car use and provides the results with some overall responses made to car use. It identifies the number of changes made for different travel purposes. For commuting and school escort travel, substantial numbers or car users changed mode and car shared.