NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 17, 2015) — Nearly 90 percent of American adults will take a summer road trip (traveling more than 50 miles from home), according to a Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) survey.
According to the April 2015 survey of more than 2,000 adults—commissioned by Bridgestone and conducted online by Harris Poll—those who take summer road trips save up more than $1,000 per person on average before they hit the road.
“The survey shows that saving money is an important part of the American summer road trip experience,” said Robert Saul, BATO senior product manager.
About 94 percent of the summer road trippers said they perform vehicle maintenance before embarking on their road trip, spending an average $127 to repair their vehicles.
Of those who take summer road trips:
- 72 percent check the fluids
- 70 percent check tire pressure
- 59 percent change the oil
“It's great to see that summer road trippers take vehicle maintenance seriously,” said Jamie Bullis, lead technician, Firestone Complete Auto Care and National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) 2014 Technician of the Year.
“Car and tire care is critical to getting there safely and avoiding issues along the way. And, it can help drivers save money in the long run.”
Other survey findings include:
- When thinking about how far they are willing to drive from their home, Americans, on average, are willing to drive 660 miles on a summer road trip. That's 80 miles farther than they were willing to travel in 2014.
- Among road trippers' favorite music to listen to: classic rock (47 percent) and oldies (43 percent).Younger drivers enjoy Top 100.
- More than a third of Americans said the best part of a summer road trip is the people they are with and nearly three in 10 said it's the pure joy of being on vacation. Eighteen percent said the final destination is the best part, while interestingly, 15 percent report the journey itself (the actual drive) is the best part.