THE FUTURE OF THE CAR SOCIETY

The report aims both at providing a general survey of the conditions, restrictions and problems characterizing present passenger transport and also at identifying a number of important research areas. The factors which may affect future travel are, among others, population development, geographical restrictions, car density, car usage, public transport, journey time, travel costs, unemployment, traffic safety, energy, environmental and technical changes. Examples of the inertia present when trying to change the course of the car society can be found in the facts that the car today has an average lifetime of about 15 years, that the car industry's production planning horizon is currently close to the end of this century and that the possibilities of changing the present habitation and industrial structure, and thereby the transportation system which is built on access to the car, are limited during the next 15-25 years. In addition, two thirds of all Swedish households today have access to a car. The conclusion is drawn that the car orientated society will continue to exist for the foreseeable future, the term car society being taken to refer to a society with a transportation system based primarily on the car. (Author/TRRL)