ExxonMobil 2000 Driver Survey Uncovers 'Courtesy Gap'
1 September 2000
ExxonMobil 2000 Driver Survey Uncovers 'Courtesy Gap'; Drivers View Themselves as Friendlier Than Others on the Road
FAIRFAX, Va., Aug. 31 Are you a friendly driver? The
ExxonMobil 2000 Driving Survey reveals that while America's drivers believe
they are friendly and good-hearted on the road, they do not think that other
drivers reciprocate their courteous behavior. "Courtesy gaps" as great as 57
percentage points exist between how we view our own driving compared to that
of other drivers, according to the survey.
From merging courtesy and thank you waves to horn honking, drivers view
themselves as friendlier than others on the road. Of drivers polled, 59
percent strongly agree that they allow other motorists to cut in front of them
in traffic, but significantly fewer (23 percent) perceive that other drivers
do the same for them. And, when you're given a break in traffic, do you say
thanks with a friendly wave? Eighty-seven percent of drivers strongly agree
they give a wave of thanks when allowed to cut into traffic, but the survey
reveals that only 40 percent of drivers notice the thank you wave of others.
Even when it comes to the horn, respondents in the ExxonMobil 2000 Driving
Survey say that other drivers are the honkers.
The third annual ExxonMobil Driving Survey, conducted by Bruskin Research
in July 2000, questioned 1,021 adults in the United States. Exxon Mobil
Corporation has used customer feedback from driving polls since 1998 to study
the behavior, needs and wants of the American driver and to help the company
become a better "one-stop" shop for customers.
"At ExxonMobil, our goal is to improve the driving experience," said Jim
Carter, U.S. Regional Director, ExxonMobil Fuels Marketing Company. "Our
annual driving survey helps us to better understand consumer preferences so we
can continue to deliver the quality products and friendly services our
customers need and expect."
Gen X-Y Drivers are in a Hurry ... Unless Seinfeld's On
While on one hand 18-24 year old drivers would overwhelmingly embrace a
faster means of paying for gas (84%), they would also be much more likely than
their elders to stick around and watch a comedy routine at the pump (41% of
18-24 year-olds compared to 5% of 65 year-olds and older).
While Seinfeld is on, younger drivers are also more interested in ordering
a burger at the pump (59%), having an automated arm pump their gas (53%), and
getting a pump-side weather and traffic updates (79%) compared to drivers 65
years of age and older (36%, 34%, 58% respectively).
Women Prefer High-Tech Pumps
Survey respondents' favorite high-tech pump device of the future would be
an automatic tire gauge. Seventy-seven percent of drivers polled expressed
interest in having their tires automatically checked while filling up.
When it comes to pumping gas and checking tire pressure, women are more
interested than men in high tech devices at the pump. Female drivers surveyed
would be more likely to use automated arms to pump their gas and check their
tires than males (53% compared to 33% and 84% compared to 70% respectively).
Who's Calling Shotgun?
When traveling with companions, 49 percent prefer to have someone else
behind the wheel. Women (68%) are more likely than men (29%) to call
"shotgun." But not all drivers want company on long trips. Driving alone for
long distances is welcomed by half of the drivers polled because it provides
time to think, relax and unwind.
Other ExxonMobil 2000 Driver Survey findings include:
* Station Amenities - From a list of amenities at major service
stations, adults select clean restrooms (29 percent) as more important
than pay-at-the-pump options (22 percent) and well-lit parking/pumping
areas (21 percent).
* Pit Stops - While on road trips, almost two-fifths (38 percent) of all
adults identify gasoline as the most frequent reason for stopping, with
restroom breaks a close second at 34 percent. The exception is in the
Northeast, where adults say they stop for a restroom (44 percent) more
often than gasoline (27 percent).
* Celebrity Co-pilots - Bush and Gore are in for a long campaign -- our
Presidential candidates rank last (4 percent) in a choice of preferred
passengers on a cross-country trip. Respondents' first preference is
to ride with their significant other (40 percent). Riding by
themselves (19 percent) is the second most popular choice of drivers
polled. TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey is the preferred celebrity co-
pilot for the second consecutive year. Among six suggested celebrity
passengers Winfrey led with 12 percent (20 percent among women). Other
celebrities included:
-- Jerry Seinfeld (seven percent),
-- George Clooney (six percent),
-- Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon (five percent),
-- Tiger Woods (five percent), and
-- Al Gore or George Bush (four percent).
* Comic Characters Behind the Wheel - Among comic characters behind the
wheel, respondents perceive Batman as the safest driver (31 percent).
Kermit the Frog, Marge Simpson and Fred Flintstone follow at 16
percent, 13 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Dilbert is perceived
as the least safe driver, receiving five percent of votes.