The travel choices and needs of low income households: the role of the car
On 22 January 2009, the National Centre for Social Research published a report commissioned by the Department for Transport (The travel choices and needs of low income households: the role of the car) which presents the findings from a qualitative study exploring the role of the car in the travel choices and needs of low income households.
The report finds that:
- For many low income households car ownership is as important and as strongly entrenched as it is amongst other types of household.
- Decision-making about whether to use a car or public transport varies a lot according to individual circumstances and the type of journey, and there are differing levels of attachment to the car amongst the chosen sample. This is not simply explained by people’s level of income.
- Many low income households prioritise essential trips such as food, school and visiting family before visiting friends and leisure trips. Where people share access to household cars, journeys to work tend to take priority. Access to a car affects the frequency of meeting friends and family and the range of relationships people have.
- The car is most important in promoting accessibility for people living in rural areas, those with young children and those with mobility difficulties. For some people the accessibility afforded by cars is important to their mental health and well being,
- Car use is extremely habitual - there is limited evidence of people weighing up different transport options before making journeys, although the research indicated that this could change if people were more aware of the actual relative costs and benefits of car use and public transport.
- The idea of value for money is important in people's view of the costs of car use; that is, they think they get better value for money from their cars because it is assumed they provide a better experience than public transport. There is also evidence that some people consider that they need to get their money’s worth from the initial outlay of buying and insuring a car and as such use the car as the default mode of transport.
The travel choices and needs of low income households: the role of the car (PDF)
