Who is ready to live a car-independent lifestyle? A latent class cluster analysis of attitudes towards car ownership and usage

Abstract

An excessive use of private cars for transportation has multiple negative effects on our society. It is therefore paramount to identify the underlying factors driving car usage among different segments of travellers. In this study, we aim to identify and characterise traveller segments in terms of their car-related attitudes and how different sociodemographic attributes, travel behaviour characteristics (such as using cars as the primary mode of transportation), and the accessibility of their place of residence vary amongst different population segments. Through Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Latent Profile Analysis we identify five different classes, namely car-detractors, −hesitants, −positives, −friends, and −lovers. More favourable car attitudes are associated with higher car ownership and access but, interestingly, there are no significant differences in terms of travel frequency and trip length distribution. This suggests that attitudinal differences relate mostly to modal preference rather than to the underlying travel demand patterns and the associated activities. We also see that car-less individuals are more likely to be car detractors, suggesting that the experiencing barriers for owning a car may contribute to developing more negative attitudes towards cars. Our results shed light on the different influencing factors and characteristics of individuals that consider, or not, a car-centred mobility.