ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the experiences of one group of researchers that undertook to monitor and evaluate the 'experiment'. The Transportation Research Group at the University of Southampton conducted a survey of car users in the immediate wake of the fuel crisis to capture the experiences of individuals during the crisis in terms of its impacts on daily routines and travel. The chapter highlights the obstacles, opportunities and challenges faced in pursuing the survey and focuses on issues that contributed to its eventual success and those that served to compromise the survey's achievements. To understand how trips and activities are affected by a change in circumstance a travel and/or activity diary is often an appropriate survey instrument to use. The main content of the questionnaire centred on four journey types: the journey to/from work; journeys made whilst at work; escorting children to/from school or pre-school; and grocery shopping.
