Web Insight: do you use
a GPS device while driving?

Last week, we looked at the issue of people using GPS apps such as Google Maps on their smart phones while driving. This week we will look at use of a built-in or stand-alone GPS devices.

Many people use a built-in or stand-alone GPS device. According to the Center’s Study on the Future of Transportation, 21% of respondents said that they use a built-in or stand-alone GPS device like a Garmin or Tom-Tom for directions always or often while driving.

Who is most likely to use such built-in or stand-alone GPS devices always or often?  How is this view affected by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, income, education, political orientation?

Age

The young were somewhat more likely than the old. Twenty-six percent of those aged 18-24 and 35-44, and 24% in the 25 to 34 year old set said they use a built-in or stand-alone GPS device for directions always or often while driving. This compares to 20% of the 55-64 year group, 17% of those aged 65 and above, and 16% of those aged 45-54.

Gender

Males (24%) were more likely than females (19%) to say that they use these devices always or often.

Ethnicity

Asians (33%) and blacks (26%) were somewhat more likely to say they used these built-in or stand-alone devices always or often than were Latinos (22%) and whites (20%).

Region

Those in the West (23%) and the South (23%) were somewhat more likely to admit to using a built-in GPS device always or often while driving than were those in the Midwest (19%) and Northeast (19%).

Income

Wealth was another distinguishing factor. Thirty percent of those with a yearly household income of $75,000 or more replied that they used a built-in or stand-alone GPS device for directions always or often. This compares with only 19% of those with yearly household incomes of less than $75,000.

Education

Those with some college education or less (20%) were somewhat less likely than those with a college degree or more (24%) to say that they use such a GPS device always or often.

Political orientation

And in regard to political orientation, middle-of-the-roaders (23%) were slightly more likely than conservatives (21%) and liberals (19%) to say that they used such devices to guide them while driving always or often.

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March 11, 2019