Who would have thought?
Wayne Gerdes -
CleanMPG - Sept. 26, 2012
2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid - $27,200 to start and a triple 47 mpgUS rating across the board – Comfortable, Quiet, Efficient and is guaranteed to make your love life better
Couples use road trips for “quality time” that allows them to reconnect.
Taking a road trip with your significant other? Chances are good the time together will improve your relationship.
In fact, 91 percent of couples have taken road trips together, and 84 percent agree the experience has strengthened their relationship, according to a new survey of more than 1,000 couples released by
Your Tango who collaborated with Ford.
QT or Quality Time
Sixty-three percent of respondents agree or strongly agree they are affectionate with their partner while driving; they hold hands or share a kiss at a red light. Fifty-seven percent say driving is a good time to discuss important topics with their spouse or partner.
The question was probably not asked but was there any more going on while “on the road”
In fact, respondents said their three favorite ways to pass the time are:
- Talking and catching up with each other (63 percent)
- Blasting our favorite music (60 percent)
- Getting some quiet time and taking in the sights (37 percent)
Quote:
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Originally Posted by YourTango CEO Andrea Miller
“With so many couples struggling with stress and looking for ways to stay connected, we can now offer a new, easy answer: Try going on a road trip!”
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A comfortable Ford car (of course Ford paid for it but the new Ford Fusion is going to be a great road trip car) is definitely a factor, agree YourTango respondents. Seventy-three percent say a car’s interior affects their level of comfort on the road; 42 percent say the noises their car makes affects their driving experience; and 77 percent say an upgrade to the features of their vehicle would improve their togetherness in the car.
Where it gets Ugly -- The back-seater
In addition the company found among other things that plenty of couples have a “back-seat driver” on board who “helps” the real driver negotiate the road:
- 32 percent tell the driver they’re driving too fast
- 27 percent tell them they’re going the wrong way
- 22 percent tell them they’re not paying enough attention to their surroundings/traffic
- 15 percent chide them for driving too slowly
After guiding the driver, the second most popular back-seat driving technique involves physical actions like holding the dashboard or pressing an invisible brake. In third place comes gasping and making other sounds of fright.
Additional survey findings include:
- 56 percent say the best driving conversations focus on the present – sights, news, other drivers, followed by 19 percent who say the best discussions involve the future: marriage, kids, home buying, etc.
- 35 percent of couples surveyed have been on eight or more road trips together
- 68 percent describe their road trips as “fun-filled” or “relaxing”
Survey details and additional insights are available on
YourTango.com/LoveOnTheRoad.
I keep thinking of Mandi Pennington and Josh Hypermiler on some of their lengthy road trips when I read this. Mandi, keep those hypermiling "couple" miles coming
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