ABSTRACT
European countries as well as the US are automobile socIetIes, where large percentages of daily trips are made by car (Waldorf, 2003). In fact, driving has become an integral part of life in industrialized societies, providing and allowing spatial mobility and independence. Over the last century, several factors have contributed to and reinforced the reliance on the automobile for all segments of the population. Most notable among these factors are the dispersion of urban development and growth, and the absence or inadequacy of public transportation. The culture surrounding the automobile with its suggestions of freedom, autonomy and heightened self-esteem fostered the psycho-social car dependence even further (Gorham, 2002).
