3: The Impact of Automobile Traffic on Quality of Life

We consider how quality of life is affected by the continuing increase in the use and density of automobiles. We propose that sustainable transportation implies finding a proper balance between collective and individual interests, because a fully sustainable transport system is difficult to envision if most citizens believe it will significantly reduce their quality of life. Approaches to measuring quality of life, its relation to sustainable transport alternatives, and the potential implications for informing transport policy are considered.

Automobile use has greatly increased during the last few decades. The number of passenger kilometres by private car per capita increased by 90 per cent in western Europe and 13 per cent in the US between 1970 and 1990. Drivers may be unaware how much they drive. When asked to prospectively estimate how many trips they would take during the next week, Swedish drivers took 80 per cent more trips than they expected to take (Jakobsson, 2004). How do these objective increases in the use of automobiles, and the subjective lack of awareness about it, affect quality of life (QoL)?