Is car time the best self-care time?

This story version has been formatted as an on-air script for broadcast outlets. See the original research story here.

WITH SO MUCH TREASURED “ME TIME” SPENT BEHIND THE WHEEL OF YOUR CAR, A NEW SURVEY LOOKED AT HOW DIFFERENT GENERATIONS CHOOSE TO SPEND THAT TIME.

A POLL OF 2,000 AMERICAN CAR OWNERS BY ZIEBART REVEALED THAT MILLENNIALS ARE DOING THE MOST SELF-IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR CAR TIME. 

THEY’RE MOST OFTEN THINKING ABOUT LIFE AND PLANNING THEIR FUTURES (44%) OR LISTENING TO PODCASTS (39%) WHILE DRIVING.

GEN X DRIVERS ARE THE MOST UPBEAT ON THE ROAD, BEING THE MOST LIKELY TO LISTEN TO MUSIC (89%) OR GIVE THEMSELVES LITTLE PEP TALKS ON THE WAY TO WORK OR BIG EVENTS (18%).

CONDUCTED BY TALKER RESEARCH, THE SURVEY FOUND THAT GEN Z, ON THE OTHER HAND, SEE THEIR CARS AS SAFE HAVENS TO CALM DOWN FOR SOME REST OR RELAXATION. THESE DRIVERS ARE MOST LIKELY TO ENJOY SILENCE (55%), PROCESS LONG WORKDAYS (43%) OR EVEN TAKE NAPS (25%) IN THEIR CAR.

HOW ABOUT YOU? ARE YOU SINGING CARPOOL KARAOKE OR CONTEMPLATING THE MEANING OF LIFE IN SILENCE?

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American car owners; the survey was commissioned by Ziebart and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between June 6 and June 12, 2025.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.