Understanding the impact of laziness and pedestrian intervention on car dependence within the context of a European island

Abstract

Sedentary behaviour, including sitting in motorised vehicles, has been linked with negative physical and psychological health repercussions, even in sufficiently physically active individuals. It is therefore pivotal to identify factors and potential determinants associated with this sedentary behaviour, including the role of the urban environment. Within the plethora of studies analysing habits and experiences as psychological determinants, few have delved into the concept of laziness and car use. This research explores the phenomenon of laziness by measuring people's perceived physical exertion to walk for short-distance trips and applies the ‘Lazy User Theory’ to examine the constructs of people's lazy user behaviour in modal choice. Using questionnaires, interviews and workshops, the paper seeks to understand the link between laziness and car use for short-distance trips by using pedestrian intervention as a tool for analysis. The findings show significant links between higher frequencies of car use and increased perceived exertion of walking for short-distance trips. Although the preliminary application of the Lazy User Theory model was not able to fully explain the behaviour of car-use for short-distance commuting trips, the construct of mental effort provided the best explanation for this behaviour within this context. The paper concludes with policy-relevant feedback from the community on pedestrian interventions to encourage a shift to walking and the next steps for further research into understanding laziness as a determinant of travel behaviour.