Gone are the days when all men insist on driving around in circles instead of asking for directions. According to a national travel survey commissioned by MapQuest, at least one of every two men is more likely to admit they are lost and ask for help. Fifty-percent admit they will often take out a map when they are lost, and more than 30 percent say they will even stop and ask for directions.
So the gap may be closing, ladies. Men are willing to admit they don't know the way to Everywhere. In fact, according to the study, men and women often agree on their destinations.
However, they may differ when it comes to preparing for the trip.
The MapQuest survey found that when traveling with the opposite sex, 68 percent of respondents say both the man and woman chose the destination for their trip. Couples who are not married may be less likely to compromise than married couples, and 68 percent of single people say both genders work together to choose a destination, compared to 74 percent of married people.
The ideal vacation spot for both men and women, according to the MapQuest survey, is a lazy beach. A sightseeing tour around a big city is the second favorite. Staying home and relaxing ranked as the least-preferred vacation option.
What isn't such a surprise is that overall, men are less likely to plan ahead for a trip. Statistics show nearly 83 percent of women prefer to plot their driving route ahead of time, compared to 76 percent of men. And 70 percent of men wait until the last minute to pack for their trips, while many women pack a few days in advance.
When leaving for a road trip, more women than men ( 76 percent vs. 63 percent ) prefer to wake up early and leave. Both men and women prefer gassing up the car the night before; however, women are more likely than men to do so ( 65 percent vs. 55 percent ) . Although when it comes to forgetting something back home, both men and women scored low ( 38 percent vs. 32 percent ) .
Women—no surprise—tend to spend more money on a trip, according to 57 percent of the respondents. When lost, women are just as likely to stop and ask for directions as they are to pull out a map ( 46 percent vs. 45 percent ) . While on a road trip, 48 percent of the respondents said the man usually drives, and 30 percent reported both genders share the driving ( 39 percent ) . Only 5 percent say the woman usually drives.
MapQuest, the world's leading provider of online and wireless mapping, routing and location-based information services, downloads more than 20 million MapQuest maps from the Web each day, and more than 40 million sets of driving directions every month. MapQuest suggests drivers prepare ahead of time for a safe, stress-free trip, and offers the following tips:
— Familiarize yourself with where you're going so you're not distracted. Map out your travel plans early. Study your driving route and places of interest. Consult resources such as the MapQuest Road Atlas, accessed online and offline. Pinpoint a few rest stops and restaurants ahead of time, and remember to check on traffic reports.
— Avoid fatigue and stay alert. Fatigue is the leading factor in driving accidents, so before you start out on your road trip, prepare by resting up. Stop every two hours to prevent drowsiness and break-up the monotony. Research accommodations in case you need to stop along the way.
— Make traveling fun. MapQuest.com lists scenic drives to help make your trip an adventure. Take the road less traveled, enjoy frequent stops and interesting places along the way. Local city guides like digitalcity.com can assist you to locate historic landmarks, parks and other interesting sights along your route.
— Discover America on one of MapQuest's Ultimate Road Trips. MapQuest is launching in time for Memorial Day, a new section of its Web site dedicated to exploring the U.S. by car. MapQuest's Ultimate Road Trips offer a selection of regional road trips and weekend getaways that will take summer travelers through the most scenic parks of the country.
Copyright 2003. Susan Frissell. Women With Wheels. All Rights Reserved.
