Oil Change Experts Uncover What Drivers Think of Themselves
HOUSTON--Oct. 10, 2001--Poll from Jiffy Lube parent company shows misperceptions of "normal driving"; Customers may be unaware of correct oil change
recommendations for their cars
October is National Car Care Month and a poll from Harris Interactive and the Pennzoil-Quaker State Company, parent company of Jiffy Lube International, shows that people have very little idea that they are tough on their cars.
"Everyone assumes he or she is a normal driver," said Marc Graham, president of Jiffy Lube International, "The notion of a severe driver conjures up images of driving your car through a desert or driving a cab in New York City. National Car Care Month gives us an opportunity to show what manufacturers truly mean by severe driving."
Most are Severe Drivers
Over the years, auto manufacturers have placed conditions on what constitutes normal driving, and it is becoming difficult to pinpoint exactly what a "normal driver" might look like. By engaging in any of the following criteria, some automakers would automatically classify you as a "severe driver": taking short trips; starting and driving without warm-up time; commuting in stop-and-go traffic; hauling heavy loads; pulling a trailer; driving in extreme heat or cold; and traveling in salty, coastal areas.
A recent Pennzoil-Quaker State Company/Harris Interactive Poll revealed that 86 percent of the 3,345 people surveyed initially rated themselves as normal drivers. Only 14 percent thought they were severe. However, when given just some of the criteria for severe driving, the numbers almost quadrupled to 55 percent.1
"Why is the severe versus normal driving distinction important?" asked Graham, who also serves as president of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association. "Owners' manuals routinely describe normal versus severe conditions and calculate maintenance intervals based on each. Changing oil at regular intervals is part of that maintenance. If you are identifying your driving conditions as normal when in fact they are severe, you may not be giving your car the care it needs."
More Survey Findings
The Pennzoil-Quaker State Company/Harris Interactive Poll demonstrated that the way drivers thought of their own driving shifted once they were given the criteria that would classify them as severe drivers. Of all the respondents, the original 14 percent who thought they were severe drivers climbed to 55 percent. Once informed, the following are some of the other segments that were found to contain larger segments of severe drivers:
--60 percent of all female drivers called themselves severe drivers
--66 percent of female drivers between 18 and 34 years of age called themselves severe drivers
--67 percent of respondents with five household members or more called themselves severe drivers
--66 percent of students called themselves severe drivers
--65 percent of drivers from the Mid-West called themselves severe drivers
The Severe Driving Solution
By checking the owner's manual in your glove box, it is easy to find out when your car should be properly serviced. The majority of owners' manuals recommend changing the oil every 3,000 miles if the vehicle is driven under severe conditions. This is because the additives in the motor oil become depleted, leaving engines without necessary protection. Oil also thickens over time. The oil's increasing viscosity can lead to a poor cold-start lubrication performance as well as a drop in fuel economy. How quickly all this happens depends on what type of driver you are. Obviously, if you are a severe driver, it is even more important to change your oil regularly. A properly performing motor oil protects the engine, increases the car's fuel economy and helps to guarantee its overall performance. Your manual will also contain information about other critical components of servicing and preventive maintenance, such as your oil and air filters, engine cooling system, and other vital fluids.
According to the Pennzoil-Quaker State Company/Harris Interactive Poll, most people either do not read the manuals often enough or misinterpret the information. Younger drivers are even less likely to consult their owner's manual than their older counterparts, according to the survey. Both male and female drivers 55 years of age or older reference their manuals much more frequently than do younger drivers.
"For National Car Care Month and beyond, we advocate just good overall general maintenance," said Donna Wagner, director of the Car Care Council, "Open your owner's manual, read it, and find out what it is you need to do to take care of your car."
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive , is a worldwide market research, polling and consulting firm. It is best known for The Harris Poll and its pioneering use of the Internet to conduct scientifically accurate market research. The Harris Interactive Internet-based forecasts for the 2000 election were the most accurate in the history of the polling industry. With expertise in pharmaceutical, health care, automotive, finance, ecommerce, technology, consumer package goods and other markets, the firm has spent 45 years providing its clients with custom, multi-client and service bureau research. In February 2001, the Company acquired the custom research group of Yankelovich Partners, a leading consultative marketing and opinion research firm. Through its U.S. and Global Network offices, Harris Interactive conducts international research in multiple, localized languages. Harris Interactive currently maintains a database of more than 7 million online panelists - the largest of its kind. For more information about Harris Interactive, please visit the Company's website at www.harrisinteractive.com. EOE M/F/D/V
About Jiffy Lube
Jiffy Lube, located on more than 2,100 of the busiest street corners in America, is synonymous with convenient car care. The company pioneered the fast oil change industry in 1979 and today serves in excess of 29 million customers each year. Jiffy Lube International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pennzoil-Quaker State Company , a leading worldwide automotive consumer products company, marketing more than 1,300 products with 20 leading brands in more than 90 countries. The top-ranked company in the Automotive Category in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 for the last four years, Jiffy Lube was ranked fourth in the magazine's Top 10 franchises for this year. The company recently earned the American Marketing Association's Crystal Award for its vehicle safety awareness program.
1 The Pennzoil-Quaker State Company/Harris Interactive Poll was conducted online within the United States from February 27-March 1, 2001, among a nationwide cross section of 3,345 adults. Figures for age, sex, race, education, region, and income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. The margin of error is +/- 2 percentage points.
