Motonormativity Explained

Motonormativity (or car brain) is an unconscious cognitive bias in which the assumption is made that motor car ownership and use is an unremarkable social norm.^[1]

Coinage

The term was coined by psychologist Ian Walker and colleagues in a 2023 study.^{[2] [3]}

Description and significance

Motonormativity is not a bias confined just to motorists, but is a feature of car-centric societies.^[4] Walker has argued that a consequence of motonormative bias is that any attempt to reduce car use is not seen plainly for what it is, but interpreted as an attempt to curtail personal freedom.^[4] This effect has been documented not just in famously car dependent North America, but around the world.^[5]

Examples

Walker has cited certain road safety campaigns targeting children as an example of motonormativity: by encouraging children to wear brightly coloured clothing to avoid being run over, such campaigns normalize the idea of motor traffic as an accepted danger others must adjust to, in a way which in other contexts would be considered victim blaming.^[4]

See also

• Normativity
• Mode of transport
• Transport poverty

Further reading

• Innocenti A, Lattarulo P, Pazienza MG . Car stickiness: Heuristics and biases in travel choice . Transport Policy . 25 . 2013 . 10.1016/j.tranpol.2012.11.004 . 158–168.
• Aston . Laura . James . Reynolds . We Need to Talk about Streets . Planning News . 49 . 8 . 2023 . 16–17 .

Notes and References

1. Walker I, Tapp A, Davis A . Motonormativity: how social norms hide a major public health hazard . International Journal of Environment and Health . 11 . 1 . 2023 . 10.1504/IJENVH.2023.135446 . 21–33. free .
2. News: Walker P . 'Motonormativity': Britons more accepting of driving-related risk . The Guardian . 2023-01-17 .
3. Web site: Hawkins AJ . Cars are rewiring our brains to ignore all the bad stuff about driving . The Verge . 2023-01-31 .
4. Web site: Ro C . 'Motonormativity': The bias that leads to dangerous driving . BBC Home . 2024-03-07 .
5. Web site: Kaitlin T . 'Everyone has Car Brain' . Atlantic . 2023-05-23 .