Exposure to weather and implications for travel behaviour: introducing empirical evidence from Europe and Canada

Abstract

For most of us, weather is more than a trivial concern in our daily life. Consider how often we watch the weather forecast and since when we did not discuss pertinent weather elements (e.g., the rain, the snow, the wind, or the hot/cold temperatures). While the influence of weather on our daily life is pervasive, there has been relatively little debate on how weather may shape our everyday life to date. However, while travelling we are continuously, but in different degrees, exposed to various weather conditions, which might have differentiating impacts on individual travel behaviour (e.g., people’s daily choices for outdoor and indoor activities, destinations and transport modes; see Böcker et al. (2013) for an extensive review). This relative silence is curious in the light of recent climate changes which, in spite of uncertainties, will have profound effects on societies (IPCC, 2007; National Research Council, 2010).