Chapter 5: Insights on Car-Use Behaviors from Behavioral Economics

Car culture is a large part of Western (and increasingly, non-Western) societies, and practically all of us make many decisions regarding our utilization of automobiles (or their alternatives) several times every day. These decisions range from choosing which grocery store to patronize and how to get there, to which day-to-day modes and routes to use, to long-term commitments such as where to live and work, and whether to buy (yet another) car. It is obvious that things such as time and cost influence how people decide which route to take to the store or which mode to use on their daily commute, but what about less blatant attributes such as what their friends and neighbors choose, the reliability of the route, or the emissions associated with various transportation options? It has been found that these are in fact significant influences in transportation decision making, in choices that range from a one-time trip to daily commute patterns to the decision of which car to buy.