Access to a car is essential for full participation in work and leisure activities in modern society, according to a new independent British report.

The report, commissioned by the FIA Foundation and the RAC Foundation, surveys policy approaches to transport and social exclusion in the 'Group of Seven' industrialised nations, and was coordinated by the Transport Studies Group at Westminster University.

The study warns that there could be a potential conflict between policies encouraging less car use and policies promoting social inclusion, and argues that a 'whole systems' approach to policymaking is needed to bring social inclusion into the heart of decisions on transport planning and locating of key services like health and education.

International researchers have concluded that lack of access to a car is the main transport factor in the social exclusion of low-income households and other marginalised groups. The same social groups are also disproportionately affected by the air pollution, congested roads and accidents caused by other peoples' car travel.

On the link between transport and social exclusion the report also finds:

* Even in families which do not own cars more trips are made by car than by public transport;

* Many on low incomes give up other basic amenities to keep their car and spend the highest proportion of income on running a car. UK drivers in the lowest income group spend 24% of income on motoring, compared with 17% of income in the highest income group. The poorest US households spend more than one third of income on transport, while the highest income group spends just 13% of its income;

* Those in isolated rural areas, night shift workers, and many women undertaking multi-purpose trips are particularly car dependent;

* Improving public transport in isolation is not enough to solve the poor accessibility experienced by disadvantaged groups;

* Children in low income and socially excluded families are most at risk from road injuries, while benefiting least from car use. In the UK children in the lowest social class grouping are five times more likely to be involved as a pedestrian in a road accident as those in the top two social classes. In Germany, children in the lower social classes, particularly Turkish immigrants, are twice as likely to involved in a road accident as those from higher income groups.

The report finds that the impact of poor transport on social exclusion and the consequent effects for national welfare and economic agendas in the G7 countries are not, in general, well analysed or addressed by national policies:

* Of the seven survey countries, the UK seems to be alone in attempting to make connections between poor transport amongst low-income groups and other inequalities such as low educational attainment and poor health;

* In France, improving access to work is the main goal in terms of reducing social exclusion;

* Germany, Japan and Italy have developed specific policies to address the mobility problems of disabled, older and isolated populations, but have tended to overlook links between transport and social exclusion as it relates to low income and minority populations.

* The USA has by far the highest level of car ownership of the seven countries, with car ownership rapidly approaching saturation point (more than one vehicle for each driver). But the highly car-dependent nature of US society means transport inequality is worse than in other survey countries for the significant numbers of low income households which do not own a car. However, the USA also has the longest tradition of policy interventions in this area, including a specific Transport Equity Act.