Study: Two-thirds of gadget owners use them in their vehicle

Harris Interactive has an interesting report on our target group that says that we are on the right way...

According to the most recent wave of the Harris Interactive AutoTECHCAST(SM) study, 65 percent of adult vehicle owners who indicate that they own an MP3/iPod player state that they use some type of adapter to use their player while driving their vehicle. The rate of vehicle integration of this technology is highest for 25 to 44 year olds (72%).
Among all adult automobile owners, ownership of MP3/iPod players is about one in 10 (12%) and use in their vehicles varies considerably by age. MP3/iPod ownership is substantially higher (31%) among 18 to 24 years olds, and not surprisingly, ownership rates decrease consistently among older respondents, as low as five percent among those aged 55 and over.
These are some of the results from the latest wave of the Harris Interactive AutoTECHCAST, a bi-annual survey of adult vehicle owners in the United States. AutoTECHCAST provides in-depth U.S. consumer trends on 60 advanced automotive technologies, and this most recent wave includes a detailed section on MP3/iPod audio system interfaces. This wave of the study was conducted online between May 15 and June 2, 2006 among 12,857 U.S. adults ages 18 and over who own or lease a vehicle, have a valid driver's license, have at least one household vehicle and own a listed U.S. model dated 2001 or newer.
"Vehicle owners 25 to 44 years of age are most likely to use their MP3 or iPod player in their vehicle," states Bryan Krulikowski, Senior Director of the Harris Interactive Automotive & Transportation (ATR) Research Practice. "This means that vehicle manufacturers need to pay specific attention to the types of vehicles these buyers are interested in and equip the audio systems accordingly. While new technologies and features typically trickle-down from luxury vehicles to mass-market vehicles, MP3 integration may become a 'trickle-up' feature given its young user base."

The future of MP3/iPod vehicle integration
Looking forward, over half (52%) of consumers who own or use an MP3/iPod player in their vehicle, and 14 percent of all adult vehicle owners, indicate that they are extremely or very likely to consider purchasing MP3/iPod Audio System Interface technology for their next vehicle. However, the technologies most readily available today for integrating MP3 players into the vehicle -- such as FM-Modulators and Cassette Adapters -- are the least preferred by these respondents. Instead, those interested in considering this technology for their next vehicle prefer to integrate their MP3/iPod player through an auxiliary jack located on the stereo head unit (39%) or through either Bluetooth (23%) or Firewire/USB connections (19%).
"The evolution of portable music devices-as well as car audio systems-has resulted in an expectation for excellent sound reproduction that consumers want replicated in their vehicle," states Krulikowski.
"Unfortunately, today's integration techniques may be a step behind what consumers truly desire as they do not always provide the quality of sound or convenience desired by consumers."

The trade-off of full control versus convenience
Overall, among those who say they are likely to consider an MP3/iPod Audio System Interface, only a small difference exists between those indicating a preference to manage the audio directly through the player so that no functionality is lost (44%) or those who are willing to give up some functionality in order to gain the convenience of managing the audio directly through the car stereo head unit (39%). However, among those who currently own an MP3/iPod player, maintaining full functionality of the unit is important, as 56 percent of these respondents indicate a preference to manage the audio directly through the player.
"The level of control that a driver has over the portable audio device is more than a convenience versus functionality issue," states Krulikowski. "Vehicle manufacturers need to consider the impact that player control has on driver distractions and balance this safety aspect with the ability to adequately use the device in the vehicle."

Related news: Foursprung, P4MR

Source: PR Newswire

Read more

Read what others are saying about it: Bloglines, Feedster, Technorati