What type of driver are you: Mr Spock or Homer?

Published on Saturday 20 December 2008 18:37

ACADEMICS have discovered there are two types of traveller: Homer Simpson and Mr Spock.

Mr Spock types will use all sources of information available to make an informed and economical choice of how to get from A to B.

They will use websites, ticket hotlines and offers to decide how to strike the best balance between journey cost, time and hassle.

However, the Homer Simpsons among us have a more laid-back approach. These people accept congestion as a fact of life and get on with it, instead turning their attention to making their trip as enjoyable as possible.

The research concludes that the transport industry focuses on these two different types of travellers.

Some areas of the industry tackle congestion by providing advice and information for the Mr Spocks among us, while other sectors exploit the congestion to invent increasingly sophisticated in-vehicle products and services to help the Homer Simpsons pass the time.

The research was commissioned by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Technology Strategy Board.

Professor Glenn Lyons, of the University of the West of England, in Bristol, said we all make our travelling decisions along two lines, director of the transport research society at UWE.

He said: "Research shows that an individual's travel choices are bound up with many factors including their personality, habits, family structure and social networks."