Breaking Down Motornormativity: Uncovering the Bias Behind Car Culture and Driving [Study]

As expected, the majority of Americans are not fond of behavior that is considered antisocial. Actions such as stealing, disregarding food safety regulations, or smoking in large gatherings often result in harsh reactions. However, this negative response seems to disappear when it comes to driving.

This is because many of us suffer from a condition known as "car brain", which Professor and doctor Ian Walker from Swansea University in Wales refers to as "motornormativity". Walker and his team created this term to describe our cultural inability to objectively and dispassionately evaluate our use of cars.

It's similar to the concept of "heteronormativity", where heterosexual couples wrongly assume that everyone else fits into their category. In this case, it applies to cars. Walker observed that people often have a significant blindspot regarding certain driving behaviors, including speeding, carbon emissions, traffic accidents, and other negative impacts associated with a culture that accommodates car drivers.

Examining Driving Participants

According to Walker, who has dedicated his career to reducing driving, people generally dislike driving less. To determine the extent to which individuals will make excuses and grant special privileges for driving, Walker and his team decided to conduct measurements.

To uncover these unconscious biases, Walker created a series of statements. The statements were divided into two groups - one related to cars and driving and the other with similar content but referring to a different activity. These statements were presented to a sample of 2,157 adults in the UK who were asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement.

For instance, participants were asked for their opinion on the statement: "Smoking in crowded areas where others have to inhale the smoke is unacceptable." They were then asked to respond to a similar statement about driving: "Driving in crowded areas where others have to inhale car fumes is unacceptable," according to a report from The Verge.

Motornormativity Concept

In the survey, while 75% of respondents agreed with smoking in crowded areas, only 17% agreed with the equivalent statement about driving in crowded areas. Another statement tested values around the theft of personal property. Participants were asked to agree or disagree with the statement that if someone leaves their belongings in the street and is stolen, it is their fault, and the police should not be expected to take action.

They were also asked to respond to a similar statement about leaving a car in the street and it being stolen. The survey results showed that only 8% disagreed with the statement about the theft of personal belongings, while 55% disagreed with the equivalent statement about a stolen car.

Similar results were found in questions about food and health safety, alcohol consumption, and workplace injuries. Participants were more lenient towards negative behaviors that involved driving a car compared to similar actions that did not involve a car. This disparity, according to Walker, highlights the concept of "motornormativity." He noted that people do not apply their normal values when discussing driving.

Convenient Mode of Transportation

The results of the smoking question particularly caught Walker's attention. Smoking was widely accepted and even promoted in the past, but as awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke grew, and stricter regulations were imposed, public opinion shifted. This change could eventually occur with driving as well, Walker suggested. He was intrigued by the comparison between smoking and driving because it demonstrated how public perception could change over time. He noted that 20 years ago, most people would not have considered smoking in public unacceptable, but now most do.

This drift in attitudes toward smoking gives him hope for a similar future shift in attitudes toward driving. The shift in public perception regarding smoking took some time, and it may take longer to change people's attitudes toward driving. Unlike smoking, driving is not typically seen through a public health lens, which prevents people from considering the negative impacts and inequalities associated with car use.

According to Walker, people tend to adopt driving as a convenient mode of transportation, and because it is easy, they often assume it to be the right and natural way of transportation. This is why there is often opposition to alternative modes of transportation, such as cycling, as it challenges the dominant belief that driving is the only acceptable way of transportation. People do what is made easy for them, and because driving feels easy, they assume it to be right.

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