11: Instrumental Motives for Private Car Use

This chapter focuses on instrumental motives for car use. These motives are related to the perception of the car as a fast, convenient, and affordable tool for urban travel. It is in general viewed as superior to alternative travel modes for reaching destinations where everyday activities such as work, maintenance, and leisure can be carried out. An analysis of the role of instrumental motives relative to other internal and external motivating factors is presented. That instrumental motives may counteract car use reduction, is emphasized.

A main argument made in this chapter is that for maintaining a lifestyle that involves many activities at different places; it is important that travel is fast, convenient, and affordable. Due to advancements in automobile technology, massive investments in road infrastructure, and spread of affluence, no other travel mode may in these respects compete with the private car for urban travel. Instrumental reasons are therefore likely to be a main motive for purchasing as well as using private cars. In support of the importance of this instrumental-tool function of the car, it has been found that when explaining why people prefer to use the car even for short distances where walking or cycling might be a realistic option, they state reasons such as convenience and alleviation of time pressure (Mackett, 2003). In a study by Jakobsson et al. (2002), the major reasons for using the car included statements like “public transport services are too inaccessible and takes too long” or “I need the car when I go shopping, because it is convenient not to have to carry the groceries.” Interestingly, these comments were often followed by or expressed together with feelings of being too dependent on the car and of frustration due to lack of alternatives. Thus, a conflict was apparent within many individuals. There is clearly a need to further investigate the motives of car use, disentangling the existence of possible complex relationships and sometimes conflicts between reasons or motives. One conflict is between the instrumental value of the car for getting around in daily life on the one hand, and a desire for a more sustainable and safe environment on the other hand. Because of the positive outcomes of car use in terms of attainment of goals related to a particular lifestyle, one may furthermore claim that instrumental motives are intimately linked to symbolic and affective motives (such as feelings of freedom, independence, power, status, or privacy) discussed elsewhere (Steg et al., 2001; Steg, 2005) as well as in other chapters in this volume (see Gatersleben, Chapter 12).