Why do you Self-Drive? Insights from Car-Owning Households in India

Abstract This study examines a largely overlooked question in car-use research: who chooses to self-drive and why? While existing literature in India and other Global South contexts has primarily focused on car ownership and overall car use. It explains who owns cars , how many cars are owned , and why cars are chosen over other modes . The present research departs from this tradition by reframing the central inquiry. Instead of asking why households own or use cars, it asks: Who chooses to self-drive, and why? Drawing on semi-structured interviews with car owners, this paper analyses the motivations of those who deliberately opt to self-drive. Using cluster analysis, hypergeometric over-representation tests, and in-depth qualitative interpretation, two behavioural archetypes are identified: the Self-reliant Affluent and the Frugal Driver-sceptic. The findings demonstrate that self-driving is shaped not merely by income or convenience, but by attitudes toward autonomy, control, trust, and the organisation of everyday travel. While these themes have appeared in prior car-use research. This study approaches them differently—by positioning self-driving itself as the primary object of inquiry. Rather than treating driving as an assumed consequence of ownership, it examines it as a deliberate behavioural stance within car-owning households. In doing so, the study reframes familiar determinants through a new empirical lens, offering a distinct contribution to car-use literature in India.