Many people use a smart phone GPS app while driving. According to the Center’s Future of Transportation Study, 29% of respondents said that they use a GPS app such as Google Maps always or often while driving. (Others use a built-in or stand-alone GPS device, and we will look  at these folks in the next web insight.)

Who is most likely to use such an app always or often?

Age

The young were more likely than the old. Forty-nine percent of those aged 18-24, 46% in the 25 to 34 year old set, and 34% of folks aged 35-44 said they used a GPS app on their smartphone while driving always or often. This compares to 22% of the 55-64 year group, 19% of those aged 45-54, and 14% of those aged 65 and above.

Race/ethnicity

Asians (38%) and Latinos (35%) were somewhat more likely to say they used these smart phone apps always or often than blacks (33%) and whites (27%).

Region

Those in the West (35%), the South (30%), and the Midwest (28%) were more likely to admit to using a GPS app such as Google Maps always or often while driving than were those in the Northeast (21%).

Income

Wealth was another distinguishing factor. Thirty-eight percent of those with a yearly household income of $75,000 or more replied that they used a GPS app on their smartphones always or often. This compares with only 26% of those with yearly household incomes of less than $75,000.

And liberals (34%) were more likely than middle-of-the-roaders (28%) and conservatives (25%) to say that they used such an app to guide them while driving always or often.

See all Web Insights.

March 4, 2019