Care trips make up about 35% of daily travel in rural South Tyrol

What the study found: Care trips, meaning trips made for unpaid care work such as caregiving and domestic responsibilities, accounted for about 35% of all daily trips in the rural case study. Women, seniors, and non-working people were the main caregivers in the sample.
Why the authors say this matters: The authors suggest the findings add new details about possible rural specificities of mobility of care and may be useful for future research. They also conclude the results highlight a potential need for more flexible collective transport options for rural caregivers beyond commuter and student peak-hour needs.
What the researchers tested: The study first reviewed previous mobility of care research, then carried out an exploratory analysis in a rural case study in South Tyrol. It examined the daily prevalence of care trips, who undertook them, and how they were made, and then compared the case study with the literature.
What worked and what didn't: In line with previous research, the analysis found that care trips represented about 35% of daily trips. Private cars and active modes accounted for 90% of the care-related modal split; 30% of care trips were 5-15 km long, 50% occurred during off-peak hours, and 60% were destined for villages.
What to keep in mind: The authors note that the results cannot be generalized because the sample size was limited. The abstract does not describe additional limitations beyond this scope constraint.

Key points

• Care trips accounted for about 35% of all daily trips in the rural case study.
• Women, seniors, and non-working people were the main caregivers in the sample.
• Private cars and active modes made up 90% of care-related travel.
• 30% of care trips were 5-15 km long, and 50% happened during off-peak hours.
• The authors suggest rural caregivers may need more flexible collective transport options.