Car Use Behavioral Study for Commuting Trips: Parents’ Work Trips and Children’s School Trips

Abstract

Negative consequences of car use along with deficiencies for investment in environmental friendly modes, have driven authorities to search for soft measure in order to encourage people for modal shift. The main objective of this study is to propose a model which describes car use behavior on parents' work trips and how this relates to mode choice regarding their children's school trips. A questionnaire survey was carried out in 24 randomly selected primary schools in Tehran, Iran (n=4000). A mean structural analysis based on the sample (returned questionnaires =1876) demonstrates that parents who accompany their children on school trips have a stronger intention to use car for work trips than parents who do not accompany their children on school trips. A structural equation model based on the theory of planned behavior suggests that using car on school trips along with car use behavior for work trips, significantly increases the car use behavior for work trips. Findings suggest that individuals as parents, and also parents who accompany their children on school trips need to be considered in planning and policy setting for modal shift providing soft measures sensitive to this issue, since parents are highly influenced by their parental roles involved with children's requirements in school trips.