Harm Through Social Exclusion

A study which investigates the social exclusion of non-drivers

As cars have become more popular, local services have disappeared and are now dispersed over a wider area. The appearance of out-of-town shopping centres, the closure of many small post office branches, and the rise in commuting distances and suburban living are all examples of the type of development which would not have been possible without the car. These developments may be advantageous for some, but they leave those without a car at an ever-greater disadvantage: there is a marked difference in the the reported difficulty of accessing essential local services between households with a car and households without (Chart 46A in Palmer et al 2006: 100).

A quarter of all households in Great Britain do not have access to a car (Table 5.4(a) in DfT 2005b: 35): this already represents a large number of people who are at precisely this type of disadvantage. But if we look at the demographic breakdown of this group we see a further inequality: women, the elderly, and the poor are worst off. Almost 45% of single parents do not have access to a car, and neither do over 65% of single pensioners (Table 5.3 in DfT 2005b: 35). It would appear that it is precisely those households who have the greatest need of personal transport and assisted mobility who in fact have the least access to cars.

Furthermore, even those whom the official figures categorise as having access to a car may not find it fulfils their needs. Although only 12% of households in one study were without any form of access to a car, many of those with one car or more still reported a transport problem: 30% of survey respondents considered lack of access to services to be a serious issue in their lives (Harrop et al 2000: 27).

To the harms of danger and pollution identified elsewhere, we can now add social exclusion as another means by which cars cause harm to non-drivers.

 

References

Palmer, Guy; MacInnes, Tom & Kenway, Peter. 2006. Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2006. Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

DfT (Department for Transport). (2005b). National Travel Survey: 2005 (Transport Statistics Bulletin). Department for Transport.

Harrop, Andy; Jones, Ken; Kenway, Peter; Palmer, Guy & Smith, Phil. 2000. Changing Views of Rural Britain: Why Services Matter. New Policy Institute.