Car-bound Kiwis urged to get out for fitness

Kiwis spend a lot of time seated, especially in vehicles. We spend nearly 1500 million hours annually travelling, covering almost 52,000 million kilometres.

Most of that time is spent in cars and vans (half of all household time is spent driving, 10% walking, 5% public transport and 3% by other travel modes such as bicycle, plane, motorcycle or boat).

These are among findings in the newly released Ministry of Transport New Zealand Household Travel Survey 2015-17, which shows most Kiwis won’t walk more than 100 metres in a day (81%), with walking around shops and workplaces excluded.

Each year, about 2000 households were asked to record their travel over a seven-day period. This was just around the road and footpath environment, including domestic flights and ferries but excluding off-road activities such as mountain biking.

Data was collected from 5703 people.

Car and van driving accounted for a 56% share of total travel time, and car and van passengers 25%.

Mode share varies by age group, with 15-24-year-olds spending a major part of their travel time (33%) driving a private vehicle and as a car/van passenger (35%). Public transport comprises 13% and takes an important role among those aged 5-14.

Those aged 25-64 spend 69-76% of mode share driving, 10-16% as a passenger and 8-9% walking.

Driving mode share declines to 60-65% among those 65 and over, with pedestrian and passenger share time increasing.

Differences vary among cities too, more Wellingtonians using public transport than Aucklanders and those in Christchurch.

AA motoring affairs general manager Mike Noon encourages people to vary their modes of transport, rather than exclusively using one form, especially the car, Stuff reports.

He says Wellington’s “compactness” gives it an advantage over other cities, allowing many people to walk to and from the city centre, bus stops or train stations.

Visit transport.govt.nz/research/travelsurvey for more information.