Does the Use of Smartphone Influence Travel Outcome? An Investigation on the Determinants of the Impact of Smartphone Use on Vehicle Kilometres Travelled

Abstract

Abstract This paper investigates the impact of smartphone on travel outcome that uses data from a web-based survey conducted in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia in 2015. Following a Latent Class Modelling (LCM) Approach, the study analyses the change in vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) as an influence of smartphone use and how this change differentiates among different socio-demographic groups, residential locations and life-style strata.Vehicle kilometres travelled has been examined on three choice contexts: smartphone use had i) reduced VKT ii) no impact on VKT and iii) increased VKT. The model identifies two classes based on socio-demographic characteristics where Class 1 can be characterized as student and young professionals, whose annual income is less than CAD 15K, female population with part-time or full-time employment and who are not full-time student. To facilitate the discussion, Class 1 has been branded as ‘Tech-Savvy’ and Class 2 of the model as ‘Non Tech-Savvy’. Results suggest that variation exists between Tech-Savvy and Non Tech-Savvy group. For example, in the Tech-Savvy group, the novice smartphone users have less probability of reduction in kilometres travelled compared to the other group, whereas in the Non Tech-Savvy group, the probability of substitution increases for the novice users. Determinants that can reduce VKT because of smartphone use are: higher use of smartphones for online shopping, active transportation as primary mode, home to work/school distance, pro-environment attitude, etc. This study offers important insights and could be useful for transport policy making.