Motorists Gear Up for One of the Busiest Easters on Record

News provided by

Allianz

01 Apr, 2015, 12:44 GMT

LONDON, April 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

First kisses, weddings and newborns: Study reveals the nation's most memorable motoring milestones and tips to alleviate motoring stress 

  • Nearly three quarters of Brits would rather share a memorable car journey with family (73%), above friends (15%) and a celebrity idol (9%)
  • Tech is out as old-fashioned games of I-spy, mix tapes and family sing-alongs all help make a family road trip more unforgettable
  • Spaghetti Junction (M6) voted in top 5 most memorable routes driven in the UK

As Easter fast approaches and people prepare to join the estimated 16 million motorists set to take to the roads, the bank holiday is tipped to be one of the busiest yet. A new study of 2,000 Britons provides tips on how to take the stress out of the inevitable long journeys and reveals which car journeys are forever etched in their memories.

The 'Motoring Milestones' study commissioned by Allianz Insurance to mark the launch of their new advertising campaign, polled 2,000 Britons to find out what makes the nation's top motoring moments.

The survey revealed the most important milestones that Britons had ever experienced in their cars, the top three moments were:

  1. Driving their children to school for the first time (24 %)
  2. Having their first kiss in the car (21%)
  3. Driving to or from their wedding (20%)

Other popular motoring milestones amongst Britons included taking the 'L' plates off for the first time, driving abroad, and teaching someone how to drive. However, the most 'overwhelming' motoring landmark in their lives was taking their first born home in their cars (26%).

When it came to choosing who these memorable car journeys are shared with, nearly three quarters of Brits chose family (73%) rather than trips with friends (15%) or even the chance to ride with a celebrity idol (9%).

In what might be considered an early indication of election polls, 53% of the UK population would not trust a politician to drive with them to an important event.  However, London Mayor Boris Johnson was the nation's clear favourite of those that would choose to ride with a politician with 21% of votes, above David Cameron (9 per cent), Nigel Farage (8 per cent) and Ed Miliband (6 per cent).  Poor Nick Clegg came in last with only 3 per cent of the nation's votes.

As families across the country prepare to deal with the long and inevitable traffic jams they will face on the roads this Easter, results show how the nation transform potentially stressful motoring moments into positive and memorable ones.

Over half of Brits (53%) polled, chose traditional games of i-spy and word games, over the latest in i-pad technology (7%) to keep passengers entertained in their cars. Families also voted mix tapes (27%) and sing-alongs (21%) among their top journey pastimes that would make their trips more enjoyable.

Taking the most positive approach and best preparing in advance of their trip, over half (53%) of those polled, said agreeing the route in advance would make the journey less stressful, and indeed a third (33%) of the population said taking the wrong route had caused the most debate on a family road trip.

The most popular scenic routes across the UK don't necessarily create the most memorable car journeys, according to Allianz. Spaghetti Junction on the M6 came within the top 5, along with the A591 (Lake District), the A30 (Cornwall), the A303 (Stonehenge) and the A1 past Gateshead (Angel of the North) - which all beat some of the most beautiful car routes around the UK including B6255 (Yorkshire Dales), A896 (Bealach na Ba) and A4069 (Black Mountain Road, Powys).

Allianz Brand Marketing Manager, Nick Dudman commented: "We understand that people have stories to tell about significant milestones they've enjoyed in their cars - from driving their babies home for the first time, to sharing an unforgettable road trip with their families.  Our new campaign recognises that the cars we insure have a story beyond just getting you from A to B."

Notes to editors: 

About Allianz 

Allianz Insurance is one of the largest general insurers in the UK and part of the Allianz SE Group, one of the leading integrated financial services providers worldwide and the largest property and casualty insurer in the world.  With approximately 148,000 employees worldwide, the Allianz Group serves approximately 83 million customers in more than 70 countries.