Decreasing popularity of the car? Changes in driving licence and access to a car among young adults over a 25-year period in Norway

The general impression that car-use has reached a peak or the orientation to have a car has stagnated in several Western countries has been associated with young people being less interested in obtaining a driving licence and getting a car. Examination of public statistics and of data from Norwegian National Travel Surveys indicates that the percentage of young people acquiring a driving licence fell during the 1990s and has been stagnating since the start of the year 2000. Over a 25-year period, we find that young people living outside large cities have a car(s) in the household; they are in paid work and are married/cohabiting. They have a driving licence to a much greater degree than those who live in cities and have good access to public transport; they are students and not married/cohabiting. In the same 25-year period we have seen a higher percentage of young people living in the larger cities, spending longer on education and delaying establishing a family. Our cohort analyses indicate that young cohorts/generations defer from obtaining a driving licence. At age 30 years the proportion of licence holders has been around 90%, but analysis of young cohorts from 2001 to 2009 shows that this figure is declining.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2015.12.006
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692315002409
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09666923
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Hjorthol, Randi
• Publication Date: 2016-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 140-146
• Serial:
  • Journal of Transport Geography
  • Volume: 51
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0966-6923
  • Serial URL: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jtrangeo

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile ownership; Automobile travel; Driver licenses; Young adults
• Uncontrolled Terms: Cohort analysis
• Geographic Terms: Norway
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01598440
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 21 2016 11:07AM