A LONELY ROAD

New research suggests that those who rely on their cars are more likely to feel alienated than public transport users, which is a rare boost for mocked non-driver Helen Coffey

- Helen Coffey

There is still, in our increasingly progressive, anything-goes world, a slight shame in making some admissions. One of them is uttering the sentence “I can’t drive” well into your thirties.

It’s less outrageous a statement in London - even if people can drive, plenty don’t, what with there being nowhere to park and Ulez and a public transport network that usually gets you there faster than a car would anyway. But head outside of the urban bubble and the confession becomes cause for consternation.

People eye you with a mix of rank suspicion and abject pity. How, they wonder, can you possibly get around? How can you possibly live your life?

As someone who’s been on the receiving end of this mild humiliation for nigh-on 20 years, I can’t help but take some small pleasure in the recent revelation that driving, far from being the be-all and end-all, might actually be making us miserable. A new UK study analysing official statistics on loneliness and transport use found that those who depended on cars were more likely to feel lonely and disconnected than those with access to good public transport.

The research from the Social Market Foundation (SMF) think tank, based on data from the Department for Transport, found a correlation between car dependency and loneliness across all regions, most acutely seen in rural towns. It was the least impactful in cities, where people had access to more reliable transport alternatives.

“Our first-of-its-kind analysis shows a very clear and statistically significant link between car dependency and loneliness, with results indicating that loneliness increases by 5 per cent for every 20 per cent fall in satisfaction with public transport and active travel,” said the SMF. “Put another way, failing to provide alternatives to cars is making people more lonely and more isolated.” The suggestion that driving is not, in fact, the pathway to all freedom and connectivity doesn't surprise me all that much