Sunday drive: Review of automobile ownership, societal and environmental impacts and behavioural change

Abstract

The automobile is a pervasive component of modern life; it has played a crucial role in shaping the society in which we live and the way in which we behave and interact with those around us. This paper provides an overview of the motor vehicle; tracing the origins of the automobile, how it helped shaped many aspects of societal and urban development and the psychological impacts on society. It also reviews studies that have explored the driving factors of vehicle ownership and choice at a disaggregate level and examines the literature that addresses the environmental impacts of the motor vehicle. The conclusion is drawn that there is perhaps no single product that has had as big an impact on modern society as the motor vehicle, an impact that is unlikely to wane. As such, the automobile will continue to be fertile subject matter for researchers from many disciplines and for in policy who must make plans in the presence of the motor vehicle.