TY - JOUR PY - 2011// TI - Entering the regime of automobility: car ownership and use by novice drivers in Iceland JO - Journal of transport geography A1 - Collin-Lange, Virgile A1 - Benediktsson, Karl SP - 851 EP - 858 VL - 19 IS - 4 N2 - This article investigates how young individuals access the regime of automobility. Instead of looking at the systemic nature of automobility, the article concentrates on its human component. Access to cars by young people in the greater Reykjavík area, and the shift in modal choice that occurs when they start driving, was investigated with a survey among high school students that yielded 553 answers. The results show that young residents in the capital area are fully aware of the costs of car-based automobility. Their near-universal move to cars when they enter driving age reflects the conditions of this regime. Yet they are also ambivalent about their position within the regime. While most previous studies of novice drivers have centred on road safety issues, this study shows the need to consider the cultural and social aspects of young people driving. This can lead to a deeper understanding of the modal shift that perpetuates car-based automobility, which is an important issue for transport planning.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0966-6923 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2010.10.012 ID - ref1 ER -