In search of the ‘window of opportunity’ for car use reduction : The role of life events

Abstract

Daily travel by car often becomes habitual and forms part of established travel routines. Reducing overall car use has many benefits for public health and the environment at both local and global levels. The habitual nature of this behaviour has been proposed to constitute a significant psychological barrier to change, partly explaining the limited effectiveness of measures aimed at reducing car use. Strong habits imply a high degree of automaticity in decision-making, whereby behaviour is triggered by familiar cues in the external context rather than guided by deliberate processes. Life events, such as moving house or changing jobs, have therefore been suggested to open a ‘window of opportunity’ during which the influence of car use habits is temporarily weakened. As life events involve changes in people’s otherwise stable daily contexts, the cue–response associations essential for maintaining habitual behaviours may be disrupted, paving the way for people’s explicit intentions to be translated into action. Although theoretically promising, empirical evidence remains inconclusive as to whether life events can improve the effectiveness of interventions. This thesis addresses the overarching research question of whether life events constitute a ‘window of opportunity’ for reducing car use. Overall, the findings from the three studies suggest that a life event in itself is insufficient to signal favourable psychological conditions for car use reduction. Instead, whether such an opportunity arises appears to depend on the specific individual and contextual conditions that coincide with the event. Based on the findings, the thesis develops an alternative theoretical account of how car use reduction may occur and suggests how measures to promote sustainable travel can be improved.