These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
For Many Adults, Driving is Strictly for Getting AroundSunday January 30, 2011
Americans are having a little more fun behind the wheel these days.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 43% of Adults now view driving a car as something they really enjoy as opposed to just something they have to do to get from one place to another. That's up from 39% in a survey a year ago .
Most Americans (51%) still regard driving primarily as a way to get from Point A to Point B, but that's down five points from 56% in January of last year. (To see survey question wording, click here .)
Most men (53%) enjoy driving. For most women (59%), it's chiefly a way to get somewhere. Adults under 30 enjoy driving more than their elders.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on January 20-21, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level -of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology.
Americans are no more inclined to buy a new or used car now than they were a year ago, but among those who are in the auto market Ford comes out just ahead of its American competitors.
Americans who enjoy driving are much more likely to buy or lease a car in the coming year, compared to those who see driving more as a chore
Nearly nine-out-of-10 Americans say they are paying more for gas than they were last summer and expect to pay even more six months from now. Most say $4-a-gallon gas is likely by July 1.
Yet despite concerns about the rising price of gas, the majority of Americans still aren't likely to buy an electric car in the next 10 years.
When looking for a car, adults nationwide now say buying American-made is as important as finding the best deal.