Automobile, Traffic and Environment

Attitude to car driving, car purchase, use of public transportation and
local public transportation. Attitude to traffic and environmental
pollution from the car.

Topics: Attitude to traffic (scale): perceived danger of accidents
from increasing traffic density; anger at pedestrian and bicyle paths
blocked by vehicles; judgement on the duration of green phases for
pedestrians; danger of traffic for children; lack of consideration of
many car drivers; noise pollution from cars in residential areas;
disregard for traffic regulations by cyclists; generally excessive
speed in traffic; hostility of cities to pedestrians; air pollution
from automobile emissions; demand for increased police control of
parked vehicles; pedestrians as fair game; assessment of the
effectiveness of protest actions against the flood of cars;
undisciplined conduct of motorcycle drivers; problems from commuter
traffic; superiority of the bicycle compared to the car in commuter
traffic; preference for a weekend free of cars; attitude to drivers
license and license plates for cyclists; downtown over-burdened through
automobile traffic.

Attitude to the traffic situation (scale): perceived improvement in
traffic discipline in the last few years; car as optimum means of
transport; preference for more frequent traffic checks and for support
of local public transportation instead of additional road construction;
more attractive city centers from zones free of cars; limitation of 30
km speed zones to residential areas; attitude to a speed limit of 130
km/h on freeways; preference for a major restriction of private
automobile traffic; attitude to the zero blood-alcohol limit; perceived
possibility to improve traffic flow through traffic management, e.g.
traffic lights timed to green and warnings of traffic jams; displacing
traffic under the cities; attitude to inexpensive group taxis with
prescribed routes; reduction in inner-urban traffic load through
reduction in parking opportunities; streetcars as environmentally
compatible means of transport; giving public transportation priority;
attitude to a common ticket for all means of local transport; intent to
switch to public transportation given offerings appropriate to demand;
attitude to the arrow for those turning right at intersections
controlled by traffic lights.

Assessment of the development of means of local transport: expected
future frequency of use of car, carpool, group taxis and taxis, bus,
motorcycle, moped, bicycle, streetcar, small trains for commuter
traffic in the city area, suburban railway, subway, Federal Railway and
ship.

Assessment of the development of means of long-distance traffic:
expected future frequency of use of car, carpool, bus, motorcycle,
Federal Railway, motorail train, magnetic suspension train, airplane
and ship.

Mobility in daily life: reasons for immobility; totals and time budget
for daily trips; totals and type of daily activities; primary means of
transport and means of transport used altogether; distance traveled per
day.

Use of public transportation: frequency of use; possession of a time,
subscription or network ticket for public transportation; use of park
and ride; stops reachable on foot; distance to stops of Federal
Railway, train bus, post bus, city buses, private buses, subway,
suburban railway, streetcar and taxis.

Advantages and disadvantages of local public transportation: judgement
on price, frequency, over-loading, timliness, amenities, cleanliness,
availability at night and safety, absence of train personnel, safety in
bad weather conditions and flexibility; car as supplement or contrast
to the means of public transportation.

Characterization of local public transportation: easy on the nerves;
elimination of burdensome search for a parking place; ticket machines
hostile to users; schedules difficult to understand; use of travel time
to read; poor connections wasteful of time; contribution to
environmental protection; irritation by other passengers; acceptance of
a longer trip on foot to the stop.

Demand of the operators of local public transportation: stops secure
from weather; access free of snow in the winter; daily inspection of
escalators and ticket machines; more care with maintenance and design
of platforms; denser network of stops; more parking places for park and
ride; better security at park and ride parking places; politeness of
personnel.

Most important advantages and disadvantages of public transportation.
Environmental orientation of respondent: interest in the topic
environment; comparison of effectiveness of environmentally compatible
as well as conventional washing or cleansing agents; destruction of the
bases for life by technical progress; assumed exaggeration of
environmental problems; attitude to modern medicine; responsibility of
desire for children; perceived improvement in environmental situation;
resignation in personal environmentally conscious conduct in view of
environmental damage from industry; happier life in earlier times;
general confidence in solution of environmental problems; utility of
transfering from car to public transportation; agreement with
prohibition of types of sport burdening the environment; assessment of
the credibilityof the information policies of the Federal Government in
environmental questions; personal helplessness in view of complicated
technology; attitude to closing of companies harming the environment
and to a speed limit; technical progress in the service of the
production of weapons of annihilation; hedonism; difficulties with
evaluation of environmentally compatible products; use of sorting
domestic refuse; nuclear energy as most environmentally compatible
energy; desire for believable sources of information on the topic
environment; prohibition of spray containers to protect the ozone
layer; preference for a center of town free of cars; interest in
membership in an environmental protection organization; environmental
protection as subject in schools; self-assessment as sober and factual
observer of the world.

Acceptance of increased power prices for alternative energies;
personal helplessness regarding possibilities for environmental
protection; environmental compatibility of products as argument for
exorbitant prices; unemployment or environmental pollution as greater
problem; self-assessment of personal environmentally conscious conduct;
preference for political support of alternative energies; attitude to
demonstrations for environmental protection; assessment of
environmental protection efforts of industry; harmlessness of food;
assessment of the technical solvability of all environmental problems;
readiness to accept longer shopping distances for food from biological
cultivation; attitude to separate collection of waste beyond paper and
glass; significance of the Greens for general environmental
consciousness; assessment of health value of biological food; doing
without nuclear energy due to responsibility for future generations;
the significance of the contribution to environmental protection of
every individual; not purchasing products of environment polluters;
preference for food without preservatives.

Assessment of the consequences of environmental protection practices
in daily life regarding their general effectiveness and one´s own use:
attitude to the effectiveness of consumer advice centers; observing
hazardous waste regulations; use of recycling paper and refill
packages; use of biologically degradable cleansing agents; sorting
domestic refuse and rejection of plastic bags for daily shopping; more
economical use of drinking water; doing without artifical fertilizers
and beverages in aluminum cans; use of water-soluble paints; doing
without products with poisonous contents; use of biologically
cultivated food; rejection of unnecessary packaging; acquisition of
energy-saving household appliances; doing without disposable tableware;
use of public transportation; later installation of catalytic
converter; doing without the car for short distances.

Agreement with selected measures in environmental protection, such as
e.g. more intensive consumer education, extra shelves for
environmentally compatible products in stores, purchase of spray cans
with environmental protection symbol, preference for ´open´ products
and beverages in returnable bottles; discrepancy between prettier
packaging and product quality; attitude to preservation of the nature
reserves in Eastern Germany at the cost of road construction.

Attitude to environmental pollution from car and traffic (scale):
expected solution of environmental problems through modern motor
concepts; preference for environmentally compatible instead of very
powerful motors; car as greatest environment polluter; willingness
completely to do without the car; desirability of high recyclability of
cars and a requirement that manufacturers take products back for
recovery of raw materials; attitude to financial incentives for
environmentally conscious conduct of car drivers; destruction of
countryside through road construction; attitude to legal force for
creation of environmentally compatible cars; environmental
compatibility of the catalytic converter and of diesel exhaust;
classification of the environmental compatibility of diesel cars.

Opinions on the consequences of automobile traffic: perceived increase
in car traffic at place of residence and classification of this
development; ability to bear the consequences of car traffic and
expected improvements from further road construction.

Attitude to the future of the automobile: future conceivable without
car; strengthening of the central significance of the car through
electronic traffic control systems; research on alternative energy
sources such as rape seed oil, alcohol or hydrogen to propel cars; home
work as contribution to reduction of volume of traffic; future chances
of the electric car; desire for government support for acquisition of
an electric car; rejection of the electric car due to chemicals in the
batteries harmful to the environment; solar car as particularly
environmentally compatible; combined propulsion through electric and
combustion engine as step towards the environmentally compatible car;
attitude to freeway tolls.

Amount willing to pay for clothing, clocks, jewelry, residential
furnishings, television sets, video equipment, stereo system, home
computer, PC, house, condominium, provision for old age, car,
motorcycle, vacation, travels, hobby, sport, food, drink, concert,
opera, theater, books, records, education, further education, antiques
and art works.

Detailed recording of all vehicles available in household such as
bicycle, car, camping bus, camper, trailer and their use in daily life
or leisure time; number of cars in household; opportunity to park one´s
car in a garage or on the side of the street; distance of parking place
from residence; possession of drivers license and class of drivers
license; number of persons in household with drivers license as well as
class of drivers license; intent to acquire a drivers license;
frequency of driving or use of opportunities to ride with someone else;
driving motor vehicles as component of occupation.

Most important problems and difficulties in traffic: traffic jams;
thoughtlessness of other road-users; changing lanes without signaling;
traffic calming measures; automobile emissions when driving in convoy;
passing maneuvers of truck drivers; orientation problems in strange
cities; many 30 km speed zones; too many trucks on the streets; too few
lights timed to green; motorcycle drivers in a group and splitting the
lane; jungle of traffic signs; construction zones and detours;
undisciplined cyclists and cyclists without lighting; continual danger
of accidents; traffic noise and traffic jams on the freeway; speed
limits; looking for a parking place; inattentive pedestrians;
inadequate winter equipment of many cars; nervous, unsure and foolish
drivers.

Attitude to driving (scale): relaxation or fun at driving; driving as
necessity; reducing one´s own speed for environmental reasons; fun in
driving fast on the freeway; not driving with fog and snow; feelings of
fear and perceived strain in driving; politeness in driving; driving as
strenuous work; sport cars lead to aggressive driving style; fun on
winding roads; attitude to automatic transmission; driving pleasure on
small highways; following closely and use of flashing headlights when
in a hurry; significance of additional safety reserves from a powerful
engine; speed limit leads to unconcentrated driving;
self-classification as safe driver; good feeling from effortless
passing of others; defensive manner of driving even with loss of time;
risk as attraction of driving; interest in small races, e.g. when
starting at a traffic light. Owner of the car driven primarily;
purchase or lease; number of kilometers driven annually; exploiting the
possible maximum speed limit; possession of car telephone or mobile
phone; opportunity to use a company car privately; decision-maker in
purchase of company car.

Attitude to car (scale): weekly washing the car; pleasure at driving
without destination and impressing others with the car; thriftiness or
liberalness in purchase of car; functionality of car in the foreground;
car as expression of life style; image of the German car brands;
ability to enthuse over the car; the car as symbol for freedom and
independence; car as interesting topic of conversation; understatement
with the car; small cars adequate in city traffic; professional use or
leisure time use as selection criteria in purchase of a car; car as
short-term or long-term consumer good; preference for considerate
driving fashion and driving comfort; interest in the newest model;
importance of well-cared appearance of a car; life without a car as a
horrible idea; willingness to loan the car; car as prestige object and
giving a personal name to the vehicle.

Opinion on foreign cars: characterization of Japanese, Italian,
English, Skandinavian, American, Czech and German vehicles as well as
foreign vehicles in general (image); manufacturing country of preferred
car.

Detailed judgement on car products from the manufacturing countries
Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Sweden, France, Italy, Korea and USA
(split: per interview two countries each were compared): judgement on
the motor vehicle products regarding care in processing, design, life,
quality of raw materials, innovation, prestige, standard of equipment,
research status, competition capability, environmental compatibility,
trust in brand, market share, presence at trade fairs, inventiveness,
reputation in the area of automobile technology, model selection,
network of dealerships, reliability of dealerships, image as
manufacturer of small cars, upper class or sports cars, cost
effectiveness.

Attitude to automobile purchase (scale): significance of standard
extras; requirements of interior equipment, quality and value of
materials used; preference for a sporty fast car or a family car;
environmental compatibility, technical refinements, motor type,
prestige, inexpensiveness, new value and brand loyalty as criteria for
automobile purchase; decision of family council; significance of
automobile advertising; considering a change of car.

Attitude to car technology (scale): importance of technical aids to
make car driving easier; self-classification of knowledge in the area
of car technology; interest in technical details or limitation to the
functionality of a car; electronics and computers in vehicle
construction; increased reliability from complicated technology;
preference for highest possible technical security standard; fun with
highly technological cars; doing repairs; the significance of passive
safety such as airbag and ABS; high speeds and asking too much of most
drivers; high performance cars offer increased safety.

Attitude to design (scale): interest in timeless design and uncommon
cars; comparison of earlier car design with today´s; attitude to
wind-tunnel styling and extravagant design for cars; significance of
sporty appearance of a car and importance of spoiler and low chassis;
indifference of design of today´s vehicles; interest in individual
design with a vehicle.

Expectations of motor vehicle dealership and customer service (scale):
importance of appointments, discussions with the manager, route there,
maintenance work completed on time, detailed bill, extent to which
informed with additional repairs, arrangement of short-term
appointments, trust in the dealership and free loan car with longer
repairs; preference for a dense network of dealerships of the
automobile manufacturer; taking good care of customers and desire for
service outside of business hours; perceived dependence on dealership
due to high technology of car.

Attitude to tuning and leasing of vehicles (scales): detailed
recording of the purchase criteria for a car and requirements of
features; service and costs of the motor vehicle as well as insurance,
tax and financing opportunities as criteria for purchase; purchase
motivation; brand reputation and sympathy for vehicle brands; country
of origin and class of vehicles driven by respondent as well as other
members of household; classification of vehicle according to a sample
picture; brand and model of cars owned earlier and number of cars
driven before; first vehicle owned (starting brand); readiness to
purchase a different brand or a different model; attitude to
convertibles, sports cars, cross-country vehicles, large vehicles,
diesel engines and station wagons; degree of familiarity of brands of
fuel or gasoline; type of fuel used (unleaded, super) and motor oils;
oil quality used; oil change and disposal of old oil; possession of
credit card of an oil company; degree of familiarity of brands of tires
and type of tires used; use of summer tires and winter tires; sources
of purchasing car accessories and car care items; liability insurance
and third party, fire and theft insurance for the vehicle; automobile
legal costs insurance and international insurance coverage; membership
in an automobile club; phase of life of respondent; possession of a
telephone; city size; media usage; commercial television.

Demography: age (classified); sex; marital status; school education;
occupation; occupational position; employment; income; household
income; household size; household composition; head of household;
number of adults in household; state.