Emotive car advertising could be contributing to a car-dependent culture among young people in the UK, according to peer-reviewed journal Municipal Engineer.
Researchers from Middlesex University monitored press and television car industry advertising over the period of one year to establish whether it could be influencing youth attitudes towards car travel. They found that the advertisements primarily focus on the social and emotive rewards of car ownership, rather than the practical, economic or environmental merits, potentially encouraging car-dependency from an early age.
The authors, Mariana Bayley, Tony Emerson and Chris Wright, claim television advertising is more likely to engage youth because of a tendency to link cars to the adult pleasures that adolescents crave.
The report states: "Since car dependency is difficult to reverse, policy-makers need to understand why people behave in this way, particularly young people. One possible influence is car advertising.
"Many car advertisements in the UK deal with personal fantasies rather than practical need. These values could be powerful levers for engaging the attention of young people."
Honorary editor of the journal Ian Jenkinson said: "Manufacturers, of course, will claim that they are merely building brand loyalty and they do not influence people to use cars in inappropriate situations. Similar arguments were once deployed by cigarette manufacturers".
The findings were published in the 25th anniversary issue of the journal, published by the respected Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
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