More Families Hit the Road for July 4th Holiday

June, 2014 – Eight out of ten Americans will hit the road this July 4th holiday - the most since 2007.* Just in time for the big holiday road trip … a new, national poll reveals more than half (63%) of adult children polled say Dad is a better driver than Mom. Still, the majority (54%) say they’d rather road trip with Mom!

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Why Road Trip with Mom Over Dad? (54%)

Folks surveyed say Mom:

• Is neater while Dad lets the car get messy (64%)
• Chooses better music while Dad plays bad tunes (60%)
• Wants to stop to sit down and eat (63%)

Dad is more likely to:

• ?Pass gas (77%)
• ?Drive too fast (69%)
• ?Nod off while driving (65%)
• ?Take control of the radio (60%)
• ?Be stubborn about the use of AC/heat in the car (53%)

 Why Road Trip with Dad Over Mom? (46%)

 Folks surveyed say compared to Dad, Mom:

• Is a worse “back seat driver” (57%)
• Asks for directions (85%)
• Talks too much (73%) and has “deep conversations” you can’t escape from (63%)
• Takes too many potty breaks (71%)

• Drives too slowly (67%)

The national survey of 400 adults, whose parents are 65 or older and currently driving, was commissioned by Visiting Angels, one of our nation’s largest in-home senior care companies with more than 450 offices throughout the country.

Folks surveyed say Dad (74%) is more likely than Mom to have ROAD RAGE!

Those polled say Dad is more likely than Mom to ...

• ?Try to race other drivers (77%)
• ?Get out of the car to confront other drivers (76%)
• ?Curse at other drivers (75%)
• ?Cut people off (73%)
• ?Tailgate (71%)
• ?Give drivers the middle finger (68%)
• ?Honk (66%)
• ?Slow down on purpose (64%)

Providing a  Safe Road Trip for Aging Parents

Visiting Angels provides caregivers who drive seniors to and from holiday celebrations if family can’t be there to drive them around. Visiting Angels also created a Senior Passenger Aboard sticker that seniors can proudly put on a vehicle while riding with their caregiver or children this holiday. The sticker alerts other drivers to be cautious around this vehicle, as senior passengers are more likely to be injured or killed in traffic crashes due to age-related vulnerabilities, such as fragile bones (AAA).

“The Fourth of July is a time for celebration, but it’s also the third deadliest holiday on the road,” says Larry Meigs, CEO of Visiting Angels. “We created this sticker to raise awareness that seniors are fragile passengers, just like infants. We encourage adult children to take their aging parents on road trips or to hire caregivers to get their elderly loved ones to holiday celebrations.  Regardless of the driver, everyone on the road this holiday must be aware a minor accident for most could be potentially life threatening for the elderly. ”

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Did You Know? (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

• ?The deadliest hours on the road are between 6 p.m. and 8:59 p.m.
• ?Saturdays have the most crash-related fatalities. Sundays are the second deadliest, followed by Fridays.
• ?Tuesdays are when you’re least likely to die in a car crash.
• ?More Americans die in car crashes in August than any other time of the year. September ranks second. July ranks third.

*AAA 

Editor’s Notes