-
Millennials and Generation Z consumers are more afraid of other
motorists driving dangerously than death, public speaking and spiders
– a new survey says
-
Top driving fears include backing out onto busy streets, maneuvering
into tight parking spaces and monitoring blind spots
-
Ford announces it is moving to migrate the company’s driver-assist
technologies across its product lineup over the next five years
Company Website:
http://corporate.ford.com/
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- (Business Wire)
Public speaking just lost the top spot as the most feared task for
younger Americans. Distracted, dangerous drivers are now the first
concern for Millennial and Generation Z consumers, new research finds.
This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150623006286/en/
For decades, public speaking was America’s most anxiety-inducing
activity. Now, dangerous drivers are more frightening than speaking in
public, death, spiders and snakes – according to independent research
company Penn Schoen Berland.
Top fears for Millennials and members of Generation Z:
-
Other motorists driving dangerously (88 percent)
-
Public speaking (75 percent)
-
Death (74 percent)
-
Spiders (69 percent)
-
Snakes (69 percent)
“Younger generations are growing up with different fears than their
parents or grandparents,” said Kevin Shkolnik, vice president, Penn
Schoen Berland. “Younger drivers are worried about distracted drivers,
but they think technology isn’t just the problem, it’s also the
solution, as we are seeing growing demand for driver-assistance
technologies.”
The most worrisome driving situations among survey respondents include:
-
Snowy or icy roads (79 percent)
-
Maneuvering into a tight parking spot (75 percent)
-
Backing out onto a busy street (74 percent)
-
Monitoring blind spots (70 percent)
-
Not knowing where I’m going (69 percent)
Penn Schoen Berland conducted the poll on behalf of Ford Motor Company,
surveying 1,000 Generation Z (ages 16-22) and Generation Y (ages 23-34)
respondents in the United States. The online survey was conducted
between April 29 and May 4, 2015; the margin of error is +/- 3.1 percent.
The new research validates Ford’s decision to offer technologies that
will help drivers with common driving concerns. Today, Ford announced it
is moving to migrate driver-assist technologies across its product
lineup over the next five years.
“Research like this is important to Ford and other automotive brands
because it informs us about the situations that cause consumers the most
stress,” said Crystal Worthem, Ford brand marketing manager. “As driver
distraction and safety conversations have broadened, we are seeing what
technology will help customers tackle their greatest fears.”
The research shows 65 percent of respondents are more likely to purchase
a vehicle if it has technology to help with parallel parking. Of those
polled, 62 percent want technology to detect objects in blind spots.
While Ford already offers active park assist and blind spot monitoring,
the company continues to develop innovative driver-assist technologies
for future vehicles.
“Ford is listening to customers to better understand what they want from
their vehicles,” said Worthem. “Part of understanding what consumers
want is to know what concerns them, and we will continue to use data
like this to inform how we research and develop our products and
technologies.”
Currently, Ford offers some of the most in-demand vehicle technologies
on most of its products in North America:
Technology |
| Number of Ford vehicles offering feature* | |
Rearview camera
|
|
19*
| |
Blind spot monitoring
|
|
10
| |
Semi-automatic parallel park
|
|
9
| |
Adaptive cruise control
|
|
7
| |
Lane-keeping system
|
|
5
| |
* Standard on 12 vehicles
Ford engineers continue to work on technology for the future, including
pre-collision assist, pedestrian detection and remote parking.
J.D. Power recently released findings from its inaugural U.S. Tech
Choice Study, which focuses on technologies consumers want to buy
regardless of price. Overwhelmingly, most of these are technologies
related to safety – specifically, collision protection, according to the study.
Blind spot detection and collision prevention systems rank among the
most valued features.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford
Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in
Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six
continents. With about 194,000 employees and 66 plants worldwide, the
company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company
provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more
information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and
video, visit www.media.ford.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150623006286/en/
Contacts:
Ford Motor Company
Aaron Miller, 313-845-4467
amill226@ford.com
Source: Ford Motor Company
© 2024 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.