Page 16 - On The Move - Volume 17, Issue 3

By J.W. Southwick
Director of Marketing & Social Media
MAADA

There’s been a major push in this country, for one (NADA – Accelerating Auto Trends in the time Event spaces, once accessible for things like
many years, to shift people away from personal of COVID-19). birthday parties and other celebrations, are
vehicle ownership over to public transportation either off-limits, or have their access severely
solutions, as well as other mobility options. In another poll, conducted by Ipsos in April, 72% restricted. So, people are hosting parties in their
Several motives have driven the effort, some of public transit riders said that they would either vehicles, parking in groups which enable close
noble, and others less so. And too often when reduce their use of public transit or wait until it enough proximity to enjoy socialization, while
the debate has come up, the benefits of personal was safe again. Contrast that with the 68% still meeting social distancing guidelines. There’s
vehicle ownership are either overlooked, or of U.S. consumers who indicated that they will also “birthday parades,” where automotive
overshadowed. switch to using their own cars as much or more enthusiasts cruise by homes in their classics,
than before the Coronavirus pandemic (Reuters muscle cars, and exotics, all in an effort to bring
Then came the Coronavirus. – Empty Trains, Clogged Roads: Americans Get smiles to kids who are missing out on traditional
Behind the Wheel to Avoid Transit). celebrations. And activities once popular decades
In an instant, the positive public perception ago are seeing a resurgence. Remember drive-in
of personal vehicle ownership was boosted Think about it. When you’re in your personal movies? They’re making a comeback.
by, of all things, a pandemic. In just short few vehicle, you’re in control, not just from a
weeks, the concept of crowding into airplanes, standpoint of operating the vehicle safely on the How all of this translates into economic impact
buses, subways, and taxis became taboo. The road, but also in regard to the cleanliness of the for the automotive industry remains to be seen.
Coronavirus, an incredibly contagious infection, vehicle. If you opt for public transportation or There’s obviously been an immediate impact on
forced millions of people to rethink how they go ride sharing, the cleanliness factor is a crapshoot. both manufacturing and dealership operations as
about their day-to-day activities. Often times, You have to trust that someone else has taken a direct result of shelter-in-place measures that
those activities involve going from A to B, B to the care to disinfect the surfaces you will come have been implemented across the country, but
C, and so on. in contact with, as well as the ventilation if the survey data on personal vehicle use holds
systems that are used. As evidenced by the true, then it may ultimately translate into more
So, what do the numbers look like, now that aforementioned surveys, more and more people vehicle sales as things return to normal. But one
COVID-19 has reared its head? Google research are opting out of that risk. thing is certain – there is now a level of health
shows that public transportation has seen a safety attached to personal vehicle ownership
28% decline, while ridesharing services have Americans are doing their best to go on with that public transportation cannot provide. Our
taken a 26% hit. 24% of survey respondents their daily lives, and the pandemic has pushed personal vehicles are enabling us to move on. We
indicated that they have ceased use of public us all to be more and more creative about how need them…now, more than ever.
transportation entirely. Social distancing we do it. Because of the challenges posed by the
requirements and fear of catching the virus are Coronavirus, the role of the automobile is being
the dominant factors driving those statistics. And reinvented.
here’s another key stat: 20% of people in the
U.S. who do not currently own a vehicle
are now considering purchasing

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