New survey reveals Australians' different attitudes and experiences regarding road trips.

Disclaimer: This survey was conducted on behalf of Budget Direct in December 2020. All figures are from this research unless stated otherwise. The survey was conducted online with a total sample size of 558 weighted and representative of Australian adults (aged 18+).

Quick Stats

  • The  majority of respondents (59.7%) are planning to stay home on Australia day this year.  
  • Only 15% of Aussies will be taking a road trip longer than 2 hours this summer
  • Almost 1 in 3 Aussies fear having a car accident on their road trip, while another third are scared at the prospect of breaking down far from home
  • COVID-19 has impacted the way we prepare and pack for road trips. 
  • 1 in 3 Australians are prevented from taking road trips because they can’t take time off work. 

In December 2020 Budget Direct surveyed 558 responses from Australian adults addressing a series of questions about road trips.

Here’s what they told us: 

Are you prepared to go on more road trips this summer compared to last summer?

42.2% of respondents said that they won’t be taking any road trips this summer. This answer doesn’t indicate whether this group of people went on more or less road trips last summer. 

What’s the farthest from home you expect to travel on a road trip this summer?

36.3% of respondents said that the farthest they’re expected to travel on a road trip this summer is under 2 hours. While the smallest group (5.3%) said that the farthest they’re expected to travel is 8-10 hours on a road trip this summer. 

NSW residents are the most keen to get out and drive over 10 hours for a road trip (32%) followed by Victorians (24.4%) and Queenslanders (21.8%).

Where will your road trip(s) take you this summer?

25.4% of respondents said that their road trip(s) will take them to the beach. However the largest group (27.1%) answered that none of the options given were the desired outcome of their road trip(s) this summer. 

Older Australians aged 55-64 had the highest response rate for visiting friends and family (20.6%) while the beach was the most popular option for younger Aussies (14.8%).

How would you describe your last road trip experience?

39.9% of respondents said that their last road trip experience was really fun, and they can’t wait to do it again.      

Men really enjoyed their last road trip (48.9%) compared to only 34.3% of women. Women were more likely to view road trips as “stressful, yet enjoyable” (45.9%) versus 36.1% of men.

How has COVID-19 changed how you’ll prepare and pack for road trips this summer?

COVID-19’s impact has made 23.4% of respondents pack hand sanitiser for road trip, 12.9% pack face masks, 10.3% of respondents stay home due to border closures and 8.9% stay home because they do not feel safe travelling.  

Men are more likely to pack extra face masks (54.6%) compared to women (26%), and more likely to pack hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes. Meanwhile, women would prefer to stay home due to border closures or not feeling comfortable travelling (8.8%) as opposed to 5.9% of men. 

What prevents you from taking road trips?

33.1% of respondents can’t take time off work and that prevents them from taking road trips. 

How do you feel while driving on a road trip?

42.5% of respondents feel relaxed while driving on a road trip and like being behind the wheel while 18.9% of respondents feel anxious and just want to get to the destination. 

What is your greatest fear when taking a road trip?

The greatest fear for 28.7% of respondents is breaking down far from home while on a road trip.   

Do you have Roadside Assistance cover?

30.7% of respondents have basic roadside assistance cover while 25.2% of respondents have premium roadside assistance cover. 

Budget Direct’s roadside assistance offers a free breakdown tow up to 20km in metropolitan areas or up to 50km in rural and remote areas.

Where do you plan on being for Australia Day?

On Australia Day a majority (59.7%) of respondents are planning to stay home. 

Contact details

For any questions or additional details on the survey and its data, please contact [email protected].