As families take to the roads in droves this festive season, a new study about holiday travel examined the most common shenanigans that go on during car rides.
A ‘cargument’ is most likely to strike 27 minutes into a journey, with which radio station to listen to being the most common disagreement. Other common debates revolve around what temperature the car should be and which route to take.
Drivers will then get asked the infamous question ‘Are we there yet?’ — at least five times on average. (“I have to go to the bathroom”, and I’m hungry” come up an average of six times each.)
Almost everyone remembers being a kid in the back seat and being asked to ‘Quiet down!’ Drivers today report that they are still uttering ‘I will turn this car around’ to passengers at least three times.
Fortunately, the season provides the perfect built-in antidote to any cargument that might come up: singing.
Two-thirds of families (67 percent) frequently sing together in the car while traveling. The 1957 song “Jingle Bell Rock” was rated the tune that drivers and passengers sing along to most often.
Other hits that Americans most often enjoy caroling in the car include the classic singalongs “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”, and “I Wish You A Merry Christmas”.
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The study of 2,000 American car owners, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Quaker State, found that two thirds of participants (67 percent) said singing is always part of their festive travel.
And traffic at its peak, there are bound to be some hiccups along the way, so motorists should prepare in advance. As many as 32 percent of those surveyed have experienced car trouble during the holiday travel rush.
68 percent have experienced the hassle of dealing with a flat tire on the way to ‘grandma’s house’. 40 percent have seen engine failure, 38 percent had a check-engine light come on, and 32 percent had a transmission issue. Another good idea is to replace those wiper blades if they can’t take care of precipitation.
Getting a fresh oil change and checking your tire pressure are two things that can help prevent such mishaps. Filling up at the gas pump and packing an emergency kit, including snacks, water, and blankets, are easy steps to ensure a safe and hassle-free trip.
THE TOP 10 HOLIDAY SONGS AMERICANS SING IN THE CAR
Jingle Bell Rock
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
I Wish You A Merry Christmas
All I Want For Christmas Is You
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
White Christmas
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Santa Baby
Blue Christmas
TOP 5 THINGS TO DO BEFORE TRAVELING BY CAR
Fill gas tank
Check tire pressure
Oil change (if it’s due soon)
Check headlights
Fill antifreeze
TOP 5 SOURCES OF DISAGREEMENTS
What music/radio station to listen to
Temperature in the car (too hot or too cold)
What route to take
Sitting in traffic
When to stop for bathroom breaks
And what travel tips would be complete without reminding you to do a full ‘idiot-check’ before you pack up the car to go home! Phone chargers are the most likely item to be left behind, followed by your toothbrush, phone, wallet, or that dish you brought carrying that “homemade pumpkin pie”.
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