Saturday, September 17, 2022

Survey Tracks Consumer Behavior On Extended Road Trips


The automobile was in heavy use this summer as people packed up and headed out on road trips. A new Katz Radio Group survey found that half the country (49%) took at least one extended road trip this summer, involving overnight stays at their destinations. These extended road trips lasted an average of 5 days. Unimpeded by gas prices, road trippers embarked on an average of 2 trips this summer, and 74% traveled outside of their home state to do so. 

Summer road trips have been a yearly tradition for 7 in 10 road trippers. And whether they were ultimately headed to stay at the beach, explore a new city, visit a national park or just see family and friends, 81% of road trippers believe the journey is part of the fun. Feeding into that amusement is what's playing over the speakers, as nearly every road tripper reported listening to and enjoying audio while traveling. By far, AM/FM radio (OTA and station streams) garnered the most listening, with two-thirds, +89% ahead of its nearest competitor, pureplay audio streaming, and double satellite radio. 





Listening to audio is a group activity on road trips, as only 1 in 10 road trippers reported driving alone. 88% of road trippers listened to audio through the car's speakers, as opposed to headphones or earbuds. And while one-third said the driver decided what the car listened to, 56% agreed that everyone in the car had a say.

Since the majority of extended road trippers traveled out of state on their trips, it means they also left their home markets and familiar AM/FM presets of daily life. Listeners were able to access their favorite stations, wherever they may be, through streaming, but AM/FM listening didn't stop there. Three-quarters of road trippers reported being open to checking out the local radio stations while they're away. 

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