Half of drivers admit they have ‘hidden’ in their car to get some peace and quiet away from partners, kids and work colleagues. A poll of 2,000 motorists found 77% enjoy staying in their car for five minutes or more at the beginning or end of their journey. While 35% used the excuse of running a quick errand simply to have a few moments in their car.
The study found 67% of those who enjoy car time consider their vehicle the ‘perfect’ place to unwind for a five-minute break. While 42% relish privacy and 27% appreciate being able to hear themselves think. As a result, 63% said afterwards they feel more prepared to tackle the rest of the day.
Paul Ray of Halfords, which commissioned the study, said: “The car has become a vital, yet unspoken, sanctuary for millions of people across the country. We want to encourage drivers to embrace this habit and give themselves permission to take that precious time to unwind.”
The average amount of time drivers spent enjoying car time is 13 minutes according to the OnePoll.com data. Interestingly, parents average 14 minutes, compared to just nine minutes for those without children.
And from those that admit to hiding in the car – 21% of parents feel guilty about it, compared to 14% of non-parents. Overall, summer is the season most are likely to indulge in car time (18%), compared to 11% in winter.
Yet 36% are more dependent on their car during the winter than the summer – and more than half (52%) find driving and maintaining their car more stressful at that time of year.
Comedian and Ellie Taylor said: “Like millions of parents, my day is just one long, beautiful, chaotic relay race, and sometimes you just need a moment to quietly take a breath, eat a snack or mentally prepare yourself for the next round of getting someone to put on their shoes.
“The truth is, for busy parents, self-care isn’t always a long hot bath or a meditation retreat—it’s that glorious, short window when you pull up outside the house and finally put the car into park.”
