Publication of the UK Government's White Paper on. Transport, in July 1998,
has raised public awareness of the problems associated with widespread car
use. The authors argue that these problems, which largely result from the
aggregated choices and behaviour of many individual car users, could be mit
igated if the main determinants of car use and the underlying behavioural m
echanisms were better understood. This article examines six strategies for
changing social behaviour, and some important conditions for reducing car u
se. Examples are presented of how the insights gained can be applied in pra
ctice.