Behavioural change measures (‘Smarter Choices’) - Transport Policy and Planning in Great Britain - page 257

everyday lives but where transport is concerned we tend to stick with what we
know.

(Leibling 2007)

Nevertheless whilst there is a large number of motorists psychologically as well as
practically committed to using their cars it is also true, as the segmentation research
demonstrates, that there are groups who are willing and in some cases keen to use
other modes, given the right opportunities. It is to these groups that 'smarter choices'
are particularly directed.

Box 16.1 Segmentation of the population into attitudinal types

This research was conducted on the basis of a survey of 666 visitors to National
Trust properties in the north west of England. Statistical clustering techniques were
used to segment the population into four car-owning and two non-car-owning groups
according to four sets of variables:

• attitudes towards car use
• attitudes towards alternatives to the car
• attitudes to the environment
• 'green behaviour'.

The research revealed very wide differences in terms of attitudes and behaviour
between the groups in relation to potential use of modes other than the car for this
type of trip. (Each group was given a descriptive label - e.g. 'malcontented motorist'
- which summarised their distinctive features.) It also showed that although there
are socio-economic differences between the car-owning and non-car-owning groups
there are very few statistically significant differences within them (education being the
only distinguishing variable). This suggests that personal characteristics are not an
important determinant of attitude or differences in behaviour between segments of
equivalent vehicle availability.

Car-owning segments Non-car-owning

Malcontented
motorists

Complacent
car addicts

Die-hard
drivers

Aspiring
environ'talist

Car-less
crusaders

Reluctant
riders

% of
respondents

30% 26% 19% 18% 4% 3%

Vehicle
availability*

0.87 0.83 0.88 0.77 0.29 0.42

Intention /
Behaviour**

18% / 2% 12% / 4% 7% / 1% 50% / 19% 100% / 85% 72% / 52%

*Number of vehicles in household divided by the number of adults with driving licences
** Intention = % concurring with statement 'I will try and use an alternative to the car to visit
a National Trust property in the next 12 months. Behaviour = % using car to travel to the NT
property on the survey day

Source: Anable 2005)