Car dependency

The 'car dependent lifestyle was described by Phil Goodwin and his research team. Once people own cars they make decisions about where they live, where they work, where they send their children to school, where they shop and on leisure activities, based on the fact they use a car. Then once the car outside the door it tends to become the 'default position', used for almost every journey, no matter how short or how congested the traffic.  Car owners tend to make more and longer journeys than non-car owners. There is also evidence that most car owners are not just unaware of the bus services that they might use and they pay little or no attention to bus service marketing material.

[Goodwin, P. and colleagues (1995). Car Dependence. A Report for the RAC Foundation for Motoring and the Environment. Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford.]

Gillian Anable and colleagues suggest that we may now also be developing 'air travel dependency'. As people fly more they develop family, close friendship, work and leisure links in other countries, and a perceived need for frequent travel. [Anable, J., Lane, B. and Kelay, T.  An evidence base review of public attitudes to climate change and transport behaviour: Final report. UK Department for Transport, 2006, Contract No PPRO 004/006/006.  Available from the UK government web site www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/climatechange/areviewofpublicattitudestocl5730]

Health and safety

Our website is created by volunteers and so we are currently collating more information and will soon have cost solutions for:

• Regular exercise and avoiding obesity
• Cycle safely with children