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Yearly Archives: 2011

Millennials Prefer Car “Access Over Ownership”

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011 | Editor | No Comments

From The City Fix and Zipcar

Zipcar, Inc., the world’s leading car-sharing network, released its second annual independent study of Millennials (18-34-year olds), which examines this generation’s attitudes toward personal transportation and car ownership.  Millennials are an important segment for Zipcar, comprising more than half of all members. Millennials account for about 23 percent of the general population, according to the 2010 US Census.

  • 55 percent have actively made an effort to drive less, compared to 45 percent in the same 2010 study
  • 78 percent say owning a car is difficult due to high costs of gas and maintenance
  • 53 percent would participate in a car-sharing service, like Zipcar – mobility and convenience is still important
  • Millennials are the most likely age group to participate in the “sharing economy” (67 percent would participate in media sharing and 49 percent in home/vacation sharing)
  • 40 percent say they would participate to save more money for retirement or buying a home

Millennials & Driving: A Survey Commissioned by Zipcar

“I Love Me Carz an Burnouts”

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 | Editor | No Comments

– By Hamish McNeilly
Otago Daily Times

The following is a news story about the implementation of a new New Zealand Law aimed at controlling “boy racer” burnout behavior. It reminds us of the sub-culture of youth, active in many parts of the world, for whom the automobile is an important outlet for adolescent exuberance and sometimes rage. What is known about these cultures? What drives some youth to partake in these behaviours and not others? What harm is done? What works to refocus the emotions on display?

– Editor

A 1982 engineless Toyota Corolla DX parked in a Milton garage will become the first car to be crushed under boy racer legislation. Self-confessed car lover Karn Clarrie Forrest, of Milton, will have his car confiscated and crushed, after his third conviction for driving a vehicle with a sustained loss of traction.

Despite initially agreeing to an interview with the Otago Daily Times, the 18-year-old remained elusive after appearing before Judge Stephen O’Driscoll in the Balclutha District Court, sitting in Gore, yesterday. Forrest was stopped by police after performing two “doughnuts” in his car on State Highway 1, north of Milton, on September 29.

Forrest was stopped by police after performing two “doughnuts” in his car on State Highway 1, north of Milton, on September 29. A passenger in that vehicle, Rhiane Dunn (18), of Milton, said his flatmate would be devastated to have the car he was doing up crushed.

Forrest, in his expletive-laden Facebook profile, wrote someone had “narked” on him for doing doughnuts, and he was planning to put a turbocharger in the Toyota. “i love me carz an burnouts,” he wrote.

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AMHC Announces Inaugural Symposium

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 | Editor | No Comments

Save The Date! Feb 15

What:“The Road Not Taken”, Mobility Health: New Directions in Teen Mobility Management.

AMHC announces our Inaugural Symposium in Dunedin, New Zealand. This will be an international live AND online multidisciplinary event showcasing new directions in the areas of teen mobility, the paradox of speed, and the importance of parental and youth engagement in mobility choices.

This event will be held in front of a live studio audience AND streamed live to the Web. Individual presentations will be archived on this web page after the Symposium.

Where: Both online and at the Media Production Studio, 2nd floor of the Owheo Building, 133 Union Street East (corner of Union and Forth Streets), University of Otago, Dunedin Campus.

When:8:30 AM to 1:00 PM, Wednesday 15 February 2012 (or click for your local time).

Download Flyer: AMHC 2012 Symposium Flyer

Register (choose one)

  • In-Person Attendance: If you’d like to be part of the live studio audience, there will be seating and lunch for around 50. Register for In-person Studio SessionWhile there is no charge, availability is on a first come first serve basis.
    Click for On-Site Studio Registration

 

Interact

Online attendees can interactively contribute to the discussion with questions and comments:

  • Twitter – #AMHC2
  • Text (SMS) – (SMS charges may apply):
    • NZ: +(64) 022 082 9569
    • US: 1 (412) 223 6675

Evaluate

  • After the Symposium, please fill out the online evaluation survey and add your public comments to the bottom of this page.


SYMPOSIUM AGENDA

“The Road Not Taken”
Mobility Health: New Directions in Teen Mobility Management
Local Time (World Clock)

8:30 Welcome and Overview – Hank Weiss and Aimee Ward

8:45 Prof Hank Weiss (University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand) – ‘Deep change and adolescent mobility health’.

9:15 Assoc Prof Paul Tranter (School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, UNSW@ADFA, Canberra, Australia) – Keynote Address: ‘The urban speed paradox: youth perspectives on time pressure, transport and health‘.

10:15 Morning tea

10:35 Dr Bruce Simons-Morton (NIH Prevention Research Branch, Rockville, Md, USA) – ‘The role of parents in adolescent transport decisions‘ (via Skype).

11:10 Arthur Orsini (Urbanthinkers, Vancouver, Canada) – ‘Engaging teens in healthy transport decisions‘.

11:45 Teen panel discussion – Facilitated by Arthur Orsini from Urbanthinkers engaging local non-driving teens and the studio audience.

1:00 Lunch

Car Ownership Puts Teens at High Crash Risk

Friday, December 9th, 2011 | Editor | No Comments

From CARRS-Q Safety Visions

A recent CARRS-Q survey suggests that three out of four young Queensland drivers own a vehicle within the first six months of receiving a Provisional licence, increasing their risk of being involved in a crash.

The survey findings, published in the international journal Traffic Injury Prevention, indicated that nearly 80% of inexperienced, new drivers aged 17 to 19 responding to the survey had primary access to a vehicle.

PhD Scholar Bridie Scott-Parker said research showed car ownership and high mileage led to increased rates of crashes, traffic offences and risky driving for newly independent drivers.

“We found 78.4% of young drivers with less than six months of independent driving experience had their own car despite being our newest drivers on the road,” she said.

“The first six months is the most dangerous time for new drivers. We would prefer they get experience driving in shared vehicles with parents monitoring their driving as much as possible.”

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Why Are US Teenagers Driving Less?

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 | Editor | No Comments

– by Brian Wheeler
BBC News Magazine

American teenagers are taking to the road in fewer numbers than ever before. What’s behind this trend and does it mean the end of the car as adolescent status symbol and rite of passage?

If Ferris Bueller had a day off now, would he spend it on Facebook?

Recent research suggests many young Americans prefer to spend their money and time chatting to their friends online, as opposed to the more traditional pastime of cruising around in cars.

For the high school students in films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and American Graffiti, cars were the ultimate expression of individuality and personal freedom – just as they have been for generations of Americans.

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