According to a survey conducted by the opinion research institute Forsa, only a fraction of German drivers are changing their mobility habits due to high fuel prices. The investigation reveals that approximately one in three users of gasoline or diesel cars (31%) stated that they are currently driving less often than they were just a few weeks ago. In contrast, 68% of respondents reported no change in their driving behavior.
The financial effect of the fuel increases appears to be most significant among people with lower incomes. Among households earning less than €2,500 net income, 44% reported driving their cars less often. For households earning more than €4,000, this figure drops to 24%.
Furthermore, there are differences in how often people reduce their drives based on necessity. Those who rely on their car daily are significantly less likely to reduce their trips compared to occasional drivers. When drivers do forgo using their car, they often switch to alternative means of transport. Specifically, 51% reported using the bicycle more frequently, 42% said they were walking more often, and 35% stated that they are increasingly switching to buses and trains. Additionally, 22% of respondents mentioned organizing carpools.
The data for this Forsa survey was gathered by the market and opinion research institute Forsa on behalf of RTL Deutschland on April 24th and 27th. A total of 1,005 individuals participated in the survey.