Second Cars Proliferating In Finland

"One in three Finnish households have two or more cars. The use of a second car has increased considerably in the past ten years - especially on the outskirts of cities."

"According to a national study on personal transport, second family cars are the main reason for the overall increase in the number of cars in Finland; there has not been a significant decrease in the number of households with no motor vehicles at all."

"More than half of households living in detached houses in the Tampere region have two cars or more, according to a study by the Tampere University of Technology. Special researcher Hanna Kalenoja says that the situation is fairly similar in outlying areas of all growth centres."

"This is the latest trend in the spread of vehicles. The proliferation of second cars has been very rapid", Kalenoja says."

"She attributes the surge in second cars to rising household income, and to the increased desire of people to move from inner cities to more spacious accommodation in the suburbs. Kalenoja feels that the increasing number of households with two or more cars is the most worrying trend in the proliferation of vehicles."

"Families with just one car still make use of public transport, and they cycle and walk a fair amount. Kalenoja calculates that if there are two cars, cycling and use of public transport decline by about 50 per cent. The kilometres that are driven increase by about 75 per cent."