As new transportation trends emerge, we wanted to find out how drivers in California were feeling about their commutes. The future, and whether they’d be open to methods of travel literally out of this world.
The team at Way.com surveyed drivers all over California for their thoughts on everything from Teslas to train rides, and here’s what we found.
The Future
While drivers were split on whether they’d pull a Bezos and blast into space (51% say they’d be into it). Most people are not on board with the self-driving car technology, as 64% said they would not purchase a self-driving vehicle.
As many look to EV rides as the present and future, most drivers are feeling positive about Teslas. With 48% saying they feel Elon Musk’s creation is amazing, while 37% found them aspirational. Only 15% find Teslas annoying, because, of course, you can’t please everyone.
Commuting During the Pandemic
While we assumed way fewer people would be driving regularly for work, 44.5% said they are currently commuting 5 days a week. While 37% are fully remote or only driving into the office once a week. 18.5% are making the drive three times a week. While a remote working situation is appealing for many. Just 17.4% of those surveyed said they would quit their jobs if a remote consideration wasn’t an option.
Finally, the most popular method of transportation right now is the car. In fact, 49.4% said they prefer their cars, while 34.7% are still opting to fly when possible. Only 12.5% are fans of train travel, and 3.4% enjoy the interesting experience that is public transportation in California.
Street Stress
California is well known for beauty, beaches, and literally the worst traffic in the U.S. It’s not totally surprising that 54.7% of drivers reported experiencing anxiety while commuting. What was a bit disturbing was the number of drivers who have suffered from road rage – at 63.4% saying yes, they have dealt with serious anger on the road. Only 27.2% of mindful drivers have tried one form of meditation while cruising to the office, with their eyes open, of course.
Bringing Sexy to the Back Seat
What’s the wildest thing people do in their cars? An adventuresome 27.2% are having sex. In less exciting activities, an overwhelming 74.3% of people eat while driving. And most of them are still listening to classic radio. While satellite and podcasts get a ton of press, radio still rules in the car – with 59.5% opting for terrestrial tunes.
Meanwhile, 26% are choosing satellite options, while just 14.5% are listening to favorites like Joe Rogan or the latest serial cold case.
Finally, when it comes to air fresheners, some favorites remain: 60.4% prefer the new car scent, while 21.6% pick pine over pina colada (18%).
Full survey results can be seen here:
1000 Way.com customers in California answered the survey questions via email in August, 2021.
