[Techtaffy Newsdesk]
A study conducted by the research company Ipsos MORI in March 2012 and commissioned by TomTom found that it takes on average just 27 minutes for children to get bored on long car journeys. Of those countries surveyed, children in Australia get bored the quickest at 23 minutes while American children display a bit more patience, with boredom kicking in at 30 minutes. Children from New Zealand appear to be the most patient, and will tolerate up to 34 minutes before their patience wanes.
While 60 percent of moms said that “being together as a family” is the best part of a family trip, they admitted it can be stressful. Forty-one percent reported that being in the car with their children is more stressful than being in the office, and 36 percent said they are likely to argue with their partner during the journey.
The study suggests that the average road trip lasts approximately five hours. With so much time spent in the car, moms have become resourceful at keeping their children entertained. For instance, 74 percent make up games, 52 percent offer treats and rewards, and 24 percent admitted that they will lie about the estimated time of arrival to make the journey seem shorter.
The research identified the following average times it takes for children, aged 2-8 years old, to get bored on a car trip lasting up to five hours:
| Australia | 23 minutes | |
| UK | 24 minutes | |
| Spain | 25 minutes | |
| Italy | 26 minutes | |
| Netherlands | 27 minutes | |
| US | 30 minutes | |
| France | 30 minutes | |
| Germany | 31 minutes | |
| New Zealand | 34 minutes |
*The survey was commissioned by TomTom and conducted by the research company Ipsos MORI from March 1-19, 2012 in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy and Spain. A total of 4,113 women were surveyed with children ranging in age from 2 to 8 years old. An additional survey was carried out in New Zealand by HorizonResearch. The statistics were calculated based on feedback from over 2,600 moms with children aged 2 to 8 years old and based on journeys over 30 minutes in length, where children had no form of amusement such as a DVD player in the car. This sample was chosen out of the total interviewed women.
[Image: Buick 2012 Enclave (Image Courtesy: Buick)]