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Car careers: A socio-psychological evaluation of aspirational automobile ownership.

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Title: Car careers: A socio-psychological evaluation of aspirational automobile ownership.
Authors: Humpe, Andreas1,2 (AUTHOR) humpe@hm.edu, Gössling, Stefan3,4,5 (AUTHOR), Haustein, Sonja6 (AUTHOR)
Source: Transportation Research Part A: Policy & Practice. Oct2022, Vol. 164, p156-166. 11p.
Subjects: Traffic safety, Air pollutants, Automobile ownership, Motor vehicle driving, Automobiles, Germans, Automobile drivers
Abstract: There is a general consensus that private car ownership is a significant barrier to transport system change, specifically in regard to injuries, space, air pollutants, or greenhouse gas emissions. Observed changes in automobile characteristics also suggest that the system is becoming less sustainable, given trends towards larger cars with greater mass and horsepower. It is thus relevant to understand how the automobile system progresses. National statistics provide data on the technical side of car ownership, such as changes in vehicle specifics or national fleet size. This paper complements this view with a socio-psychological perspective on aspirational car ownership, i.e. the type of car people preferred to drive if given a free choice. Data is derived from an online panel (n = 1,211) representative of the German population, and also contains information on current car ownership, use, driving style, traffic behavior, attitudes towards traffic risks and safety measures, as well as political orientation. This allows for a discussion of driver segments in relation to the characteristics of cars, and hence to better understand the socio-psychological drivers of the development of the automobile system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:There is a general consensus that private car ownership is a significant barrier to transport system change, specifically in regard to injuries, space, air pollutants, or greenhouse gas emissions. Observed changes in automobile characteristics also suggest that the system is becoming less sustainable, given trends towards larger cars with greater mass and horsepower. It is thus relevant to understand how the automobile system progresses. National statistics provide data on the technical side of car ownership, such as changes in vehicle specifics or national fleet size. This paper complements this view with a socio-psychological perspective on aspirational car ownership, i.e. the type of car people preferred to drive if given a free choice. Data is derived from an online panel (n = 1,211) representative of the German population, and also contains information on current car ownership, use, driving style, traffic behavior, attitudes towards traffic risks and safety measures, as well as political orientation. This allows for a discussion of driver segments in relation to the characteristics of cars, and hence to better understand the socio-psychological drivers of the development of the automobile system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:09658564
DOI:10.1016/j.tra.2022.08.001