Household travel Te karore ā-whānau

Car use (as a driver and passenger) has increased while the use of all other modes has reduced. Household travel is dominated by car use. Seventy-nine percent of trip legs are by car as a driver or passenger, while 18% are by walking or cycling, and 3% by public transport.

Around 80% of travel across all the regions for over 5 year olds is by car. A notable exception is Wellington (71%) where many walk instead of use a car.

New Zealanders spend on average nearly 80% of their travel time travelling in a motor vehicle (as a driver or passenger).

Under 15s tend to travel as motor vehicle passengers. The 15–24 age group tends be evenly split between being a driver or a passenger, and is also a heavy user of public transport. The older age groups have a greater tendency to be drivers.

More than half of people’s time spent travelling is as a driver in a private car/van (52% for 2011–2014). Over a quarter is as a car/van passenger (27%), followed by walking (13%).

Mode share varies by the age of the person travelling. For instance, before age 16, driving is not a legal option.

• Children under 5 years old spend most of their travel time as car/van passengers (86%), followed by walking (13%).
• Those aged 5 to 14 years are also mainly car/van passengers (70%), with nearly a fifth of their time spent walking (18%). Public transport starts playing a more important role with people aged 5–14, making up 8% of their time spent travelling.
• For 15–24 year olds, driving a private vehicle becomes a larger part of their travel (36% of time spent travelling), as they are starting to get a driver licence. About a third of their travel time is still as a car/van passenger (33%) and public transport makes up 10%.
• Between ages 25 and 64, driver, passenger and pedestrian mode share stays about the same (64–70% driving, 13–18% as a passenger, 9–11% walking).
• After age 65, driving declines to 51–60% of mode share and walking and passenger mode share time increases.