Kerstin Westin

FACTORS INFLUENCING DRIVERS' DECISION TO INSTALL AN ELECTRONIC SPEED CHECKER IN THE CAR

Intelligent speed adaptation (ISA) refers to various concepts aiming at limiting the vehicle speed. In Umea, Sweden, a large scale field study was carried out to test the possibility to, on a volun ...

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND TRAFFIC SAFETY - DRIVERS PERCEPTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF ELECTRONIC SPEED CHECKERS

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) can play an important role in reducing risks and increasing traffic safety. Discussion as to whether a technological approach or a behavioral approach is the right way to achieve a safer traffic environment forms a point of departure for this paper. On the one hand, there are the technicians who emphasize technology as the way towards safer traffic. Behaviorists, on the other hand, view the drivers’ behavior as fundamental and argue that education and incentive-oriented policies are essential in order to influence the driver and therefore increase traffic safety. Independent of the approach advocated a successful outcome of either a technological improvement, or an information campaign, has to be based on a high level of acceptance among potential users. In order to increase traffic safety, it is therefore essential to recognize driver motivation and attitudes. In this paper we focus on drivers’ attitudes towards risk, traffic safety and safety measures. A study of drivers’ attitudes and acceptance of an electronic device for speed checking (which the drivers tested for nine months) indicated a high acceptance level. The drivers perceived that they had both become more aware of traffic regulations and behaved in accordance with safety regulations.

The effects of taxicab deregulation in rural areas of Sweden

In 1990, the taxicab industry in Sweden was deregulated. By eliminating entry and price controls, it was expected that prices would decrease and efficiency/productivity would increase. This paper examines the effects of deregulation in rural areas. We assume that the geographic setting, with respect to population composition, population density, economic life, infrastructure, transport service provision, etc., provides different conditions for taxicab services as well as different demands for taxicab services. Taxi logs and taxi meters provided data for this study. The results indicate that although not all expectations have been fulfilled, some positive effects concerning competition and productivity are noted.

The general public's support for forest policy in Sweden: a value belief approach

In the present study, the legitimacy of the forest policy in Sweden was explored. Based on a value belief approach, the general publics support for forest policy was examined by means of a questionnaire (n = 796). Results demonstrated that the respondents believed ecological principles, such as sustaining natural conditions for native plants and animals, were most important in forest policy, but preservation of social values and using the forest efficiently to maintain high market value were also emphasised. Although socio-demographic variables (i.e. gender and age) had some impact on support for the policy, different values and beliefs reflecting ecological, social and economic interests were more important. By considering different values and beliefs, as well as policy support explicitly, the study provides a multifaceted account of the publics viewpoint regarding forest issues.

Attitudes on intensive forestry : an investigation into perceptions of increased production requirements in Swedish forestry

Abstract In 2008, the Swedish government launched an inquiry into the possibilities, benefits and requirements for conducting intensive forestry in part of the Swedish countryside, including fertilization, genetically improved plant material and fast-growing species beyond what is currently allowed in Swedish legislation. Drawing upon part of that governmental investigation, this paper analyzes attitudes toward intensive forestry over time. The study draws upon studies of points of conflict written in the 1970s and 1980s, attitudes among different stakeholder groups, and interviews with forest owners and stakeholder groups potentially affected by intensive forestry. The study concludes that the diverging opinions as to what constitutes acceptable forest use have remained largely the same over the years. Radical landscape change is generally not seen as desirable, but views diverge over the use of novel tree species and the use of fertilization.

New Forest Owners: Change and Continuity in the Characteristics of Swedish Non-industrial Private Forest Owners (NIPF Owners) 1990–2010

This paper presents a total survey of the characteristics and changes over time (1990–2010) within the entire population of Swedish non-industrial private forest owners (NIPF owners). By charting the changed demographic, socio-economic and geographic profile of the NIPF owners, it also provides a baseline for a discussion and analysis of potential implications for forest management, policy and values. NIPF owners differ in important ways from the general population of Sweden. However, the gap has narrowed over time with regard to, e.g., educational level and sex composition. The ongoing urbanization process is evident in the growing share of non-residential NIPF owners who live at a distance from their forest property and who differ from their residential (rural) peers through, e.g., higher education, higher income and a higher prevalence of co-ownership of their forest holdings. Although these changes might translate into updated views on forest values among NIPF owners, there could be a delay before this impacts on forest management practices and output.

A study of forest values and management attitudes in the general public in Germany and Sweden: does context matter?

Based on the reasoning that contextual variations are important for understanding differences in forest cognitions, this study examined forest values and management attitudes in the general public in Germany (n = 1135) and Sweden (n = 1311) by means of a questionnaire. Results indicated that the public in both countries emphasised similar forest values, and the overall pattern was comparable for different types of forest, although certain differences based on forest type and country were evident. For example, the German public was more ecologically oriented, whereas the Swedish public was more production oriented in its forest values and management attitudes. Furthermore, ecological and various anthropocentric forest values were perceived to be quite compatible, with the Swedish respondents perceiving this to a greater extent than the German. The overall cognitive structure of forest values and management attitudes was similar in both countries, although differences were revealed, particularly regarding attitudes.

Interactions Between Forest Owners and Their Forests

More than half of the forest land in Europe is privately owned, and ownership structure is known to have implications for management, production of timber and other forest products and services that support the transformation towards a green economy. This chapter provides examples of how we can gain knowledge about the forest and forest owner/user relationship from a structural point of view. Sweden is taken as an example because of the accessibility of continuous data on forest conditions, ownership and demographic data. It is concluded that the pace of change in ownership structure and forest management behaviour is slow. Further, neither the ongoing migration, urbanisation, ageing population nor the increased proportion of women seems to reduce the willingness to manage and harvest.

Individual Forest Owners in Context

In this chapter, changes that have taken place on an overarching level in society, such as globalisation, supranational agencies, privatisation and restitution, are discussed from the forest owners’ perspective. The forces influencing forest owners and forest ownership as described in Chap. 2 in this volume are scrutinised and interpreted here on a micro level. Urbanisation, economic restructuring, demographic change and new ownership constellations are both drivers and consequences of changes in lifestyles, forest owner identity, place attachment and attitudes to the forest resource.

Tourism destination choice sets for families with wheelchair-bound children

ABSTRACT Families with disabled children encounter a range of mobility constraints when travelling for tourism purposes, yet how such constraints affect their ultimate destination choices is currently not well understood. This paper applies a destination choice set model to explain how families with wheelchair-bound children with cerebral palsy choose their holiday destinations. Interviews with 13 parents revealed that these families find many destinations unavailable due to various mobility and travel constraints, such as inaccessible modes of transport and accommodations. The destination choices are trade-offs between constraints and desires of the disabled child and other family members. The findings suggest that the destination choice set model for this particular target group should also consider an ‘accessible set’ of destinations with universal design when exploring travel-related decisions of these families. Finally, the paper argues for a more differentiated approach towards identifying and responding to travel constraints of families with disabled children.