Worldcrunch NEWS BITES
BERLIN – Cars are playing ever less of a central role in the way young Germans script their lives. “They pack less of a punch as status symbols,” says Andreas Knie of the Berlin Innovation Center for Mobility and Social Change. “The attitude towards cars and mobility is getting much more matter-of-fact.””
Knie, who spoke at the “Safe Car of Tomorrow”” symposium in Berlin, an event hosted by the German Traffic Safety Council, says that people increasingly make the conscious decision not to own a car.
The numbers tell the story. In 2000, in Germany, 510 out of every 1000 people aged 18 to 29 owned their own car. By 2015 that figure will have decreased to 335 out of every 1000 young adults. For those aged 30 to 39, by comparison, car ownership in 2000 stood at 870 per 1000; in 2015 the number is expected to be 785.
Public transportation, instead, is increasingly important for younger people, says Knie, who wants to find solutions to future mobility issues that optimize links between car manufacturers, energy providers and public transportation networks.
Read the full article in German by Klaus Lockschen
photo – Susa Tom
