When you go on vacation, would you rather head to the airport or hop in the car to get to your destination? While flying is almost always faster, it turns out, it’s not the preferred mode of travel for the majority of Americans, as only 22% would rather fly than drive when going on a trip, according to new research.
A poll of 2-thousand American drivers finds that 73% say they prefer taking a road trip to get to their vacation destination over flying.
- So why do people like driving better? Respondents say the best parts of road trips and long drives are seeing new scenery and landscapes (50%), listening to music (43%), getting a break from their routine (26%), enjoying the feeling of driving (25%), trying local food along the way (24%) and talking to the people they’re driving with (23%).
- The average person has gone on 16 road trips during their lifetime.
- As a result, 43% consider themselves experienced, while 21% go as far as ranking themselves expert-level.
- While 45% like to be the one behind the wheel, 22% prefer having someone else drive and 28% like to share the task with someone else.
- When on the road, drivers say their biggest concerns are having a safe and reliable car (35%), traffic (32%), staying awake and alert (28%) and being aware of dangerous drivers (27%).
- Even those who prefer road trips to flying still have to deal with little annoyances and their biggest pet peeves are losing cell service (36%), having to make frequent bathroom stops (35%) and people in the car asking, “Are we there yet?” (27%).
- But 37% have experienced what they call a “road trip nightmare,” involving flat tires, broken down cars, brakes going out, blizzards, and losing their wallet along the way.
Source: SWNS Digital