The study detailed in this paper stems from the premise that attempts to influence established behaviour, particularly once an individual has purchased a private car, will yield limited returns. By considering the travel behaviour of young people aged under seventeen, there is the potential to gain a better understanding of the formative factors that influence and shape young people's longer term travel behaviour. It may subsequently be possible to develop policies and practices that aim to instil car independent travel behaviour at an impressionable age that could then serve to resist the drift into car dependence beyond the landmark of the driving test. This paper reports in particular on a survey of young people's travel behaviour, opinions and aspirations conducted at two secondary schools. A questionnaire has been distributed to some 1000 pupils aged between 11 and 16 at a suburban comprehensive school and a rural private school. The questionnaire seeks to assess current levels of car dependence among pupils and to what extent they expect to rely on the car in the future. In addition to the journey to school, leisure trips are considered in terms of mode of travel used and the mode that would be used if pupils had access to a car.
Abstract