Here’s another item for the “well that’s not a surprise” file: a new survey finds that getting stranded on the side of the road by a vehicle breakdown is a “major aggravation” among motorists, with the flat tires the most common cause of such breakdowns.
Based on an online poll of 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18 or older conducted in early July by FTI Consulting on behalf of Allstate Roadside Services, the survey uncovered some interesting statistics about motorist breakdown experiences:
- A majority or 95% of those polled have experienced a disabled or un-drivable vehicle on at least one occasion.
- At 74%, flat tires were the most common cause of roadside breakdowns.
- Some 45% of those polled blamed a mechanical breakdown for their travel woes.
- Younger drivers aged 18 to 29 are the most likely group to have experienced an incident within the past year (73%).
Those breakdown experiences also generated a range of difference emotions among motorists as well:
- Some 47% said they felt overwhelmed and helpless;
- About 62% admitted they became anxious;
- Another 52% got angry;
- Roughly 36% said they became scared;
- And 40% said their first instinct was to immediately call a tow truck or roadside assistance service for help.
Again, it’s not surprising (to me at least) that breakdowns generate such angst. Indeed, one of the key facets of trucking operations today is finding ways to prevent such breakdowns from occurring in the first place – often using remote diagnostic technology as one of those “preventative” methods.
If only such systems could rustle up some hot coffee simultaneously as well …
