Car ownership and car use : the European dimension. Commissioned by the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, Transport, Transport and Traffic Research Division.

One important research collaboration of the Network for European Communication, Transportation and Activities Research group (NECTAR) of the European Science Foundation (ESF) is to analyze and compare mobility patterns in various European countries crossnationally. This report gives an overview of car ownership and car use in Europe. First, the importance of the car in society is presented. This is followed by some key factors concerning car ownership and use in Europe. Then, the basic relationships which influence car ownership and use are given. Finally, a synthesis is given. It is concluded that income is the driving force behind car ownership and car use levels. The other factors, prices, taxes, demographic structure and land use, mainly influence the composition of the car park. (A)