British Columbians and Driving Vacations

Vancouver, BC - A new Ipsos Reid online poll conducted on behalf of the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) shows that BC drivers won't let gas prices get in the way of a summer driving vacation. A majority (55%) of drivers agree with the statement that `Gas prices won't hold me back from a driving vacation this summer.'

Other findings from the survey include the following:

Vehicle Safety

• Two-thirds (65%) of drivers agree `I always ensure I get my vehicle tuned up before a road trip.'
• Two-in-ten (20%) drivers agree `I don't have my vehicle serviced/tuned up before a road trip because I don't expect anything will happen to my vehicle,' but this rises to one-third (33%) of younger drivers (18-34 years).
• Two-in-ten (22%) drivers agree `I spend more time packing the car and picking music for my road trip than checking the safety of my vehicle,' but this rises to four-in-ten (41%) among younger drivers (18-34 years).

Travel Insurance

• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of BC drivers agree `I always ensure I'm covered for travel medical insurance for long trips to the U.S.'
• Two-in-ten (22%) drivers agree `I sometimes take short trips (one night) to the U.S. without travel medical insurance because I just don't expect to have a medical emergency,' but this rises to more than one-third (35%) of younger drivers (18-34 years).

GPS and Directions

• Three-in-ten (29%) BC drivers agree `I fully rely on a GPS to get me to my destination,' but this rises to more than four-in-ten (44%) younger drivers (18-34 years).
• Half (50%) of BC drivers agree `I use a GPS and also have a map or a smartphone as a backup.'
• Most (91%) BC drivers agree `I have no problem asking for directions if I am lost,' but strong agreement with this statement is much higher among women (64%) than among men (43%).

Perceived Driver Safety

• The vast majority (90%) of BC drivers agree `I am a safe driver, but it's the other motorists I worry about.'

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll, conducted on behalf of the British Columbia Automobile Association, of 1,007 adult British Columbians, including 823 adult drivers (drive 1+ hour per week) conducted online using Ipsos Reid's national online household panel from June 6-11, 2013. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual BC population according to 2011 Census data. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the overall poll results are accurate to within +/- 3.5 percentage points had all British Columbia adults been surveyed. Among drivers, the poll results are accurate to within +/- 3.9 percentage points had all British Columbia adult drivers been surveyed All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Kyle Braid
Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
778.373.5130
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. In October 2011 Ipsos completed the acquisition of Synovate. The combination forms the world's third largest market research company.

With offices in 85 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,789 billion (2.300 billion USD) in 2012.