A new survey suggests the public are becoming more concerned about congestion, environmental and road safety issues – and more willing to change their own behaviour.
Source: British Social Attitudes Survey 2015
According to the British Social Attitudes Survey 2015, concern about congestion has risen significantly, with the percentage of people seeing congestion in towns and cities as a serious or very serious problem rising from a low of 39% in 2012 to 55% in 2015.
The equivalent figure for motorways rose from a low of 22% in 2011 to 37% in 2015.
Similarly, concerns about exhaust fumes in towns and cities rose from a low of 44% in 2012, to 60% in 2015, albeit that the figure was 61% in 2005.
The number of respondents stating that they were concerned about damage to the countryside from road building has risen in recent years to 70%. Again, this figure has actually fallen from 76% since 2005 when the question was first asked.
Source: British Social Attitudes Survey 2015
Three quarters (74%) of respondents said they were willing to buy a car with lower CO2 emissions while 36% said they are willing to reduce the amount they travel by car to help reduce the impact of climate change.
As Transport Network has reported, the percentage of new diesel cars, which produce less CO2 but more toxic emissions such as Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), has risen to be near parity with petrol cars.
Nearly a fifth (19%) of respondents said they are willing to reduce the amount they travel by plane to help reduce the impact of climate change.
Unsurprisingly 90% of respondents agreed that it is dangerous to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving. However nearly half (48%) think all mobiles, including hands-free sets, are dangerous, and 39% think even hands-free sets should be banned.
While around half of respondents said speed cameras are mostly there to make money, and a third said that there are too many of them, agreement with these statements decreased to the lowest point in the last decade.
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