Having plans disrupted drives us crazy as six in ten people admit to getting enormously stressed when interrupted – especially when on a much anticipated trip according to new research released today.
People rated unexpected callers as the most frustrating interruption followed by a lost Wi-Fi connection, traffic jams and a flat tyre. Researchers for General Tire tracked the causes of delays and the frustration created as part of their work to anticipate how to support their promise of anywhere is possible.
Eddie Ryan Marketing Director for BestDrive by Continental, Ireland’s leading supplier for General Tire 4×4 said:
“We recognise the stress created by interruptions. That impacts mood and our approach to driving, though planning and the right equipment can make a world of difference. We anticipate problems and then use technology to tackle them – prompting innovation like visual alerts to inform people when their tyres need to be changed.”
Whilst enraged by interruptions half of us are guilty of doing it to others. The study of 1,000 adults even revealed that one in five have intentionally woken people just for something they wanted.
Such is the determination to not be disturbed that one in five millennials wear headphones with nothing playing to avoid exchanges that might hold them up.
Other life cheats to dodge delays include half of adults keeping cash handy to cover car parking, keeping fuel topped up and switching mobiles to silent to avoid intrusive calls and messages.
Eddie Ryan added:
“People find imaginative ways to avoid their plans being curtailed and our experts do precisely the same to keep drivers on track for adventure. We recognise the importance of people avoiding interruption with tyre failures, especially in the summer months where data shows that tyre incidents increase. This is why General Tire has technology which not only tells you when your tyres need to be replaced, but also alerts you when uneven wear is taking place.”
The top 20 list of most frustrating interruptions are
- Unexpected callers (phone)
- Lost Wi-Fi connection
- Traffic jams ahead
- Flat tyre
- Power Cut
- Unexpected callers (home)
- Queue jumpers
- Loud music
- Boiler breakdown in winter
- Being unexpectedly woken
- Losing mobile signal
- Someone pushing in in traffic
- Interrupted when speaking
- Charity fundraisers on the street
- Phone running out of battery
- Systems updates on a device
- Getting into bed and realising you need a wee
- At a cash only shop/venue with no cash
- Unexpected rain on a day out
- Running out of fuel
BestDrive by Continental – You drive, we care.