Breaking the habit: Does fracturing your wrist change your travel and driver behaviour?

Abstract

When someone breaks their wrist it presents a disruption to everyday routine. Some of this is as a result of having to change travel patterns. This paper investigates the changes people make to their travel behaviour in the light of an unexpected change in their situation caused by fracturing their wrist and wearing a forearm plaster cast. One hundred and eleven participants, approached as they were having their plaster cast removed, completed a questionnaire addressing travel behaviour change, driver safety and information provision covering their time in a plaster cast (typically an average of 5-6 weeks). Eighteen percent of participants drove during the time they had a forearm plaster cast on. All reported they felt safe in doing so and that wearing the plaster cast did not compromise safety, though it was uncomfortable and compensatory behaviours took place. Risk and affective scales did not predict whether participants drove in a cast, suggesting that practical and utilitarian, rather than psychosocial, reasons were the motivation for driving in a plaster cast. Eightytwo percent found other ways of travelling without using their car. Participant's use of buses and trains, walking and taking lifts were all increased and overall, across all modes of transport, participants travelled fewer miles but made more journeys. There was a reduction in cycling, especially for those who drove in a cast, suggesting cyclists who broke their wrist changed to driving while their arm was in a cast. Information provision did not affect whether someone drove or not. Implications for providing travel information to help people avoid car use while their forearm is in a cast and maintaining behaviour change afterwards are discussed.

E-bike trials’ potential to promote sustained changes in car owners mobility habits

“…Examples include highway closures, which may nudge car drivers to try out public transportation [20], or strikes, such as the London Underground strike of 2014, which led to lasting changes in mobility behaviour among about 5% of all affected travellers [21]. In addition, natural disasters, such as hurricanes [22], and personal life events, such as a serious injury [23], qualify as disruptions that are sufficiently strong to induce changes in individuals' mobility patterns.…”

Older people’s travel and mobility needs: a reflection of a hierarchical model 10 years on

“…■ Driving Hands project (Musselwhite et al, 2016): transport behaviour and road safety of drivers who had their lower forearm or wrist in plaster following a break. This involved 14 telephone interviews with older people about transport and mobility before and after breaking their wrist, noting changes to travel behaviour.…”

Considering Habit in Research on Travel Mode Choice: A Literature Review with a Two-Level Methodology

“…Similarly, when mapping a change in travel mode choice, a natural change in the environment is used. It could be in the case of moving house (Verplanken,Walker, Davis, & Jurasek, 2008), graduating from university (Fujii & Gärling, 2003), injury (Musselwhite, Calcraft, Roberts, Fox, Swinkels, Turton, & Young, 2016), a temporary motorway closure (Fujii, Gärling & Kitamura, 2001) and the provision of various benefits related to using different travel modes than a car (Fujii & Kitamura, 2003;Bamberg et al, 2003a;Bamberg & Schmidt, 2001). In their study, Fujii and Kitamura (2003) offered drivers a free-of-charge bus pass for one month.…”