As millions of Brits take to the roads for the summer holidays, new research conducted by Gulf, the leading fuel brand operated by Certas Energy has found that for many drivers, it’s as much about the journey as it is the destination.
Surveying 1,000 UK adults planning to drive to a UK or overseas holiday destination this year, Gulf’s research reveals the main priorities for UK drivers when it comes to service stations and the factors that can make car trips truly memorable.
Stop, shop and go
With the average staycationer travelling 191 miles to reach their holiday destination and one in five clocking up 300 miles or more, service stations are a major feature of the long holiday drive – with 34% of drivers stating they will stop to use a service station once and 38% saying at least twice.
Clean toilets were rated a top priority by almost two-thirds of drivers (63%) followed by service stations that offer a comprehensive range of food and drink options with and good parking options ranking third. A full range of fuels, customer service, family facilities and EV charging were among the other facilities drivers also appreciated most.
“It’s clear from the research that service stations are a big part of the summer holiday journey,” said Niall Taylor, Senior Marketing Manager, Certas Energy UK Limited. “That’s why at Gulf we ensure that we offer the very best service station experience and pride ourselves on great customer service.”
Car confessions
The research has also revealed that the car is the perfect place for resolving some of life’s biggest struggles and having those ‘awkward’ chats. Asked why conversations flow more easily in the car, the top reasons included: no interruptions (48%), a lack of phones or devices (39%) and little or no eye contact (32%). As for topics covered; financial decisions (33%), family disagreements (29%) and relationship issues (22%) topped the poll.
