Are car users too lazy to walk? : the relationship of distance thresholds for driving to the perceived effort of walking.

The present study tested the hypothesis that frequent driving makes people averse to exerting physical effort through walking. In support of the hypothesis, the decrease in distance thresholds for driving associated with an increase in driving frequency was partially mediated by a measure of perceived exertion. Policy implications of the results are discussed with the suggestion that potentially effective means to decrease the frequency of short automobile trips may be through land-use planning strategies and demarketing strategies for car use.