Multimedia News Release - Cost Of Getting Lost Is Higher Than Ever This Travel Season
20 May 2005
Nearly 60 percent of drivers in the United States get lost a few times each year, according to a national online survey of vehicle owners. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive® on behalf of Lincoln Mercury, a division of Ford Motor Company.
"High gas prices make the cost of getting lost higher than ever, so drivers should be prepared as they head out on their summer road trips," said Gary Barham, Lincoln Zephyr Marketing Manager.
Currently, consulting an online source is the most typical (76 percent) way to obtain directions to a new place. Yet, nearly 60 percent of vehicle owners surveyed say they would use a Global Positioning System (GPS)/navigation system over any other source for directions and 42 percent say they would select a GPS/navigation system as one of the top three features (among fourteen options) in their next vehicle.
The survey also found that some traditional gender stereotypes hold true when it comes to driving and directions. For example, among vehicle owners, women (61 percent) are more likely than men (42 percent) to stop and ask for directions when lost and 26 percent of men will be lost for one-half hour or more before taking any action. In addition, women (75 percent) are more likely than men (61 percent) to always make sure they have directions before starting a road trip to a new destination.
Yet, men (75 percent) are more likely than women (60 percent) to keep a map in the car and to consult that map when lost (36 percent of men v. 19 percent of women). In addition, men (36 percent) are more likely than women (26 percent) to have in-vehicle experience with a GPS/navigation system.
"Overall, consumers are seeking greater ease and convenience when navigating new roads, whether for summer travel or local explorations, which is why we have developed a next generation navigation system for Lincoln Zephyr that demonstrates a continual enhancement of the in-vehicle navigation experience and offers new features, such as citing specific street names when providing directions," says Andrea Bowes Chowanic, navigation product planner, Ford Motor Company.
This next generation DVD-based navigation system will be available as an option on the all-new 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, a mid-size, five-passenger sedan that will be available this fall in Lincoln Mercury dealer showrooms across the country.
About This Survey
Harris Interactive® conducted the online survey within the United States on behalf of Lincoln Mercury between April 14 and 22, 2005 among 580 car, SUV, and truck owners aged 18 and over, of whom 310 were men and 270 were women. Data were sales weighted as well as weighted to the general vehicle owner population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.
In theory, with probability samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult vehicle owner population in the United States had been polled with complete accuracy. Sampling error for the men's and women's sub-sample results is plus or minus 6 percentage points. This online sample is not a probability sample.
About Lincoln
Lincoln is a brand of the Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., which manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With nearly 325,000 employees and 110 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company and Hertz. For more information regarding Lincoln vehicles, please visit http://www.lincolnvehicles.com.
About Harris Interactive®
Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com), the 15th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, is a Rochester, NY-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and application. Known for The Harris Poll® and for pioneering Internet-based research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring results.
Harris Interactive combines its intellectual capital, databases and technology to advance market leadership through its U.S. offices and wholly owned subsidiaries, HI Europe in London (http://www.hieurope.com), Novatris in Paris (http://www.novatris.com), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V.
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future online surveys, http://www.harrispollonline.com.
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Source: Lincoln
Source: PR Newswire
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