(August 5, 2015) WASHINGTON — The dog days of August are here and that can only mean one thing — it's time to hit the road! Given lower gas prices and airport hassles, it may come as no surprise that vacationers prefer to hop into their cars instead of flying this season, according to the latest Auto Index from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (Auto Alliance).  

The Auto Alliance's latest consumer survey revealed an overwhelming 60 percent of Americans prefer to drive to their summer vacation destination, compared to 27 percent who prefer to fly and only 4 percent who would rather take a train.

Convenience is nearly as important as cost when choosing to drive this year. While 29 percent said cost was the leading reason to drive, nearly as many respondents (23 percent) cited convenience.  In a similar survey conducted this time last year, more than 47 percent cited cost as the main factor in deciding between flying and driving.

This summer's survey also found lower gas prices continue to drive more interest in travel by car, with 61 percent of respondents agreeing cheaper fuel will increase their likelihood of driving to a vacation destination. 

"Traveling by car has always been a great family experience, and with today's new vehicles people can go longer and farther with confidence, safety and in comfort," said Mitch Bainwol, CEO of the Auto Alliance.

The Auto Alliance survey also found that summer is definitely the time when people indulge their wanderlust. Two-thirds of the respondents said they would travel more than 300 miles this summer, and nearly 20 percent said they would go any distance.

The Auto Alliance Auto Index was conducted June 29 – July 26 by Pulse Opinion Research among 4,660 adult vehicle owners in the United States.  The survey has a margin of sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is an association of 12 vehicle manufacturers including BMW Group, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz USA, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen Group of America and Volvo Cars North America.