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Long Drive Ahead for Labor Day Weekend According to National Survey

29 August 2000

Long Drive Ahead for Labor Day Weekend According to National Survey; Drivers Estimate Their Weekend Drive to be 5-Hours on Average

    WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Aug. 28 When drivers hit the road for
Labor Day Weekend, they may be on that road for a long, long time.  According
to a national survey conducted by Response Insurance, a leader in e-commerce
insurance and one of the nation's fastest growing direct-to-the-consumer auto
insurance companies, most drivers expect to take 5-hours to reach their
destinations.
    At either extreme are 30% of drivers who anticipate a 7-hour or longer
trip ahead of them and the lucky few (6%) who expect to spend less than one
hour on the road.  According to the survey, most fall in the middle with an
anticipated 5-hour drive to their destinations.  Regionally, drivers in the
South foresee the longest drives ahead of them, with nearly half (49%) looking
at a minimum of a 5 hour drive versus 34% of Mid-Western drivers who
anticipate being in the car for that length of time.
    "It's hard to tell whether these drivers are optimistic, pessimistic or
just being realistic," offered Mory Katz, Chairman of Response Insurance.  "We
just hope they take it easy don't get too stressed out while getting away for
the weekend."