Car As Drug

According to Swiss author Siro Spörli, the automobile is as dangerous as a drug. Humans experience a rush of power and lust flowing through them every time they drive, every time they are in control of a large technical machine like a car. The car thus takes on a different meaning, no longer just a means of travel, but a surrogate satisfaction. Humans try to find a fulfilled moment in their stressful, unsatisfying lives, and at the same time become even more a victim to a speed rush.

At the very least, car use is habitual. Car trips are usually made without thought to the existence of an alternative. Every day car users may not be in it for the pleasure. Most likely there won't be a lot of enjoyment involved at all.

Nevertheless, they act like heroin junkies-possibly willing to quit, but too hooked on their cars to be able to. Spörli points out that for this very reason, rational, convincing arguments won't work to keep people from driving their cars.

Researchers in the Netherlands found that while factual information concerning environmental effects helped raise individuals' awareness of the need for environmental policy, the information did not lead to a change in the respondents' behaviour. To try and persuade people that it is important for them to change their behaviour, information usually conveys the urgency of the situation. The campaign publicity may be shocking, full of dire warnings of the consequences if people don't do something. Yet this again can also be counterproductive, since typical responses to doom and gloom information is to feel completely overwhelmed, causing feelings of helplessness and despair among the target audience. It sure is difficult to get people to contemplate change by attacking the very behaviour they rely on, and, in some respects at least, derive benefits from.

So what tactics should be used? Instead of preaching about the horrible consequences of car use and constantly pointing our fingers at those nasty car drivers, should we treat them with pity and patience, as victims to our speedy society and its surrogate satisfactions?

If we acknowledge that at least for some people car driving can be an addiction, and a habit for many more, then without a doubt we have to radically alter our strategies-stop merely providing alternatives and start helping people kick the habit.

How do you cure an addiction? Over the last 20 years, several countries have shifted from cigarette smoking being accepted as the norm to smoking being a frowned-upon habit of a minority. The anti-smoking campaigns from these countries perhaps contain some lessons for the car-free movement.

And over the years, extensive studies have established what brings about behavioural change. An early concept was the Knowledge-Attitude-Behaviour model, which assumed that knowledge (smoking/driving damages your health, that of others and the environment) affects attitudes (believing smoking/driving is a bad thing to do) and then behaviour (give up smoking/driving).

Yet behavioural psychology has exposed this model's inadequacy. Most smokers believe smoking is bad for you and want to give up, yet still continue smoking.

Theories of behavioural change now assert that in making fundamental alterations in personal behaviour, the individual passes through various stages: Before starting to quit, an addict must acknowledge that the behaviour is a problem. Step two is move from recognising the problem to deciding to do something about it. It is only then that behavioural change really starts, and the addict must still pass through the final stage, of sticking to the new habits.

Providing people with cycle paths assumes they are already at step two, and doesn't necessarily provide the social support needed to get through the final step. To achieve maximum behavioural change, campaigns should guide people from stage to stage, rather than presenting the end-state as achievable in one go.

An important feature of anti-smoking campaigns has been the focus on children. Although there are various approaches to dealing with habits, most experts agree that the best solution is to never pick them up. It follows then that the best way of dealing with unnecessary car use is never to start it in the first place.

A 1995 British study found that children are as dependent on cars as their parents, with 90 percent of girls and 75 percent of boys saying that they would find it difficult to adjust their lifestyles without a car. If attempts are to be made to prevent future generations from becoming addicted to the car, it is important to target children who have yet to assimilate the pro-car propaganda.

The study suggests that by the time children reach age 13 it is too late, the children having been already absorbed into the car culture through social conditioning.

Ranging from soft toy cars for babies to plastic electric police cars, society teaches children about the important role a car must play in one's life. Add to that parents who themselves can hardly "just say no" and insist the only safe way to get to school is by car,plus the constant advertising by the car industry, and the creation of yet another car addict is not that surprising.

Another tactic in the health promoter's dossier of addiction-fighting tips is emphasising the positive. Rather than saying "don't drink alcohol" to a population that is dependent on it, the message can be "have at least three alcohol-free days a week." This is a message that people are much more receptive to, instead of immediately switching off. In the case of "cars versus bicycles," the health promotion experience would suggest an approach that says that there can be room for both: "Cars will inevitably continue to be a significant transport mode, but for some short trips, why not try a bike some time?" could be the kind of message being delivered.

But is "drive less" a compromise implying the driving on long trips is okay? According to health promoters, it's a viable way of fighting addiction.

Examples of the positive approach might be the annual Car-Free Day in France (see World News section) or the Bike-to-Work Weeks organised in some American cities. It doesn't work to simply offer people transport "alternatives" or "options"; effective campaigns take people by the hand and actively encourage them to break the car habit.

If insights like that continue, will the first "Autoholics Anonymous" groups start sprouting up? Will there be psychiatrists and social workers specializing on curing car addicts? Will we have state-sponsored detoxification programs with electric cars as methadone and people publicly declaring to be car-free, destroying their formerly beloved vehicles?