MORE than a million drivers could be using their parked-up cars to get some peace and quiet during the COVID-19 lockdown, according to research from Skoda.
The survey of 2000 drivers by the Czech manufacturer provided an insight into how our behaviour towards our cars has changed since the restrictions began and what we are missing most about driving.
With 39 per cent of UK motorists having been working from home in recent weeks, drivers are using their otherwise idle vehicles for a range of different activities.
Potentially up to 1.2million motorists (eight per cent) are retreating to their pride and joy to get some time alone away from the family. A further seven per cent are using their motor’s infotainment system to listen to music, the radio, or a podcast.
Ever resourceful, more than 20 per cent of respondents stated that they have found alternative uses for their cars while they remain stationary outside their homes, including as a place to watch TV on a mobile phone or tablet device, taking a nap and even as an interim playground for their children.
Although motorists may be unable to get out in their vehicles at the moment – aside from essential journeys and limited travel to work – 13 per cent say that they have headed into the driver’s seat to dream about their post-crisis road trip.
Vehicle owners are also taking greater care of their cars during lockdown, with 22 per cent reporting that they are washing them more regularly and a further one in five are cleaning the interior more often than usual.
In fact, nearly two-thirds of all UK motorists are missing driving their cars, with the sense of freedom it provides being the thing they miss most (64 per cent) – a figure that rises to 70 per cent for Generation Z – those born in the 1990s.
A Skoda spokesperson said: “The research highlights that while we may not be able to currently use our cars in the traditional fashion, they still play a hugely significant part in our everyday lives.”
