Wi-Fi, Android Auto, CarPlay, iPhones & Love Help Keep the Family Entertained on Road Trips

According to a new survey from Harris Poll and Chevrolet, parents typically bring an average of 6.6 mobile devices in the vehicle on family road trips.

According to a new survey family trips can be stressful. The top stressors were traffic, packing and cost. However parents re still concerned about keeping the family entertained with technology such as Wi-Fi an average of 6.6 mobile deviesand other technology.

As traffic levels are projected to increase during the upcoming Thanksgiving travel week, parents indicated that in-vehicle technologies can improve the family road trip experience by making gridlock more bearable. More than half of American parents (56 percent) said that Wi-Fi/internet connectivity would help make family road trips more enjoyable, making it the top in-vehicle tech on their wish list for family road trips.

“The vehicle is the new family dinner table, where memories are created and bonds grow strong,” said Steve Majoros, director of marketing, Chevrolet Cars and Crossovers. “As families prepare to hit the road this holiday to spend time with friends and family, they can depend on crossovers like the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse and Equinox to meet their needs, from storage space to USB outlets, available 4G LTE Wi-Fi and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.”

The survey also revealed that, despite stressful or unexpected moments, the spirit of the American family road trip remains alive and well. The vast majority of American parents (93 percent) say they enjoy road trips with their family, with more than half (53 percent) saying they “love” them.

The top reasons for America’s love affair with family road trips? Chevrolet and Harris Poll find that spending time with family (80 percent) ranked as parents’ favorite thing about road trips, followed by exploring and stopping at interesting locations/destinations (69 percent). The following results are based on the survey:

In-car Wi-Fi sits at the top of parents’ wish list for better road trips:

  • 56 percent of parents say that having Wi-Fi/internet connectivity would help make their family road trips more enjoyable.
  • Nearly three in 10 parents who take family road trips but do not have Wi-Fi/internet connectivity in their car say they would be more likely to take longer (29 percent) or more frequent (28 percent) family road trips if their vehicle had Wi-Fi/connectivity.
  • Of those who do have Wi-Fi/internet connectivity in their cars, more than half of parents who take road trips said they are more likely to take longer (54 percent) or more frequent (56 percent) family road trips because of the feature.

The vast majority of American parents enjoy taking road trips, and so do their kids:

  • 93 percent of all parents say they like or love taking road trips with their family, including more than half (53 percent) who “love” it. Of those who take road trips, 95 percent like or love them, including 55 percent who say they “love” them.
  • Kids like spending time on the road with their families as well: 90 percent of parents who take road trips say their kids also enjoy time on the road.
  • 86 percent of American parents who took road trips when they were growing up say they have “a lot of fond memories” from childhood that took place on family road trips, including nearly half (49 percent) who strongly agree.

Family time and new explorations drive America’s love of road trips:

  • Spending time with family (80 percent) and exploring and stopping at interesting locations and destinations (69 percent) are parents’ top two favorite aspects of family road trips.
  • Unplugging from everyday life (49 percent), indulging in foods and snacks (44 percent) and being out on the open road (45 percent) round out the top five favorite parts of taking family road trips.

What stresses parents out the most on family road trips? It’s not the kids:

  • Traffic and other unexpected delays is by far the most stressful part of the family road trip, according to nearly two in three parents (63%).
  • Only about one in four parents (26%) are most stressed by getting asked “are we there yet?” and just under one in three (31%) find it stressful to keep the kids entertained.

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  • Is there a “perfect” road trip length? The consensus is yes. American parents who take road trips believe that the “perfect” family road trip length is typically six hours.
  • Tech savvy: Parents who take road trips today bring 6.6 mobile devices, on average, in the vehicle.
  • Which wheels are best? Nearly two-thirds of all American parents (63 percent) say they would prefer to take a family road trip in an SUV over any other type of vehicle, with more than two in five (42 percent) preferring a large SUV with three rows.
  • A family affair: 67 percent of parents who take road trips involve their children in the planning.

A CLOSER LOOK AT CHEVROLET

In time for holiday travel, Chevrolet vehicles provide families a home away from home where they can make special memories on the road.

Chevrolet was the first automaker to offer 4G LTE Wi-Fi on its cars, trucks and crossovers, and has offered Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility in most of its lineup since 2015, helping families stay connected on the road.

The Harris Poll surveyed 1,063 U.S. parents of children under 18 to explore the state of the American family road trip.