Ellen, Barack and Rudy America's Top Picks for Road Trip Companions; Hillary, Simon Cowell Get Left Behind

SKOKIE, Ill., May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Ellen DeGeneres is America's first choice to ride shotgun on a road trip, beating out celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Will Ferrell and Paris Hilton. And all politics aside, U.S. travelers elect to hit the road with presidential hopefuls Rudy Giuliani and Barack Obama.

These are just two of many revelations from Rand McNally's 2007 Great American Road Trip Survey, which polled 4,000 adults nationwide about their summer road trip outlook, favorite road trip destinations, what goes on in the car during the drive and which celebrities they most would like to have in the passenger seat.

According to the survey, 21 percent more Americans plan to take road trips this summer than last year.

"Rand McNally and road travel are practically synonymous," said Laurie Borman, editorial director of Rand McNally. "Who could you trust more to tell your road travel secrets to? The Great American Road Trip Survey is just one way we keep our fingers on the pulse of fun and fascinating road trip trends year-to-year."

  Survey Offers Insights Into Road Trip Plans and Preferences
  -- Eighty-five percent of Americans plan to take a road trip this summer,
     whereas 70 percent of last year's survey respondents said they planned
     to take a summer road trip.
  -- Sixty-two percent of men surveyed said women are more likely to get
     lost on a road trip; 80 percent of women said men are more likely to
     get lost.
  -- American Idol fans may love to watch Simon Cowell on TV, but they would
     rather not spend time in a car with him. Only 7 percent chose Simon as
     their preferred road trip companion.
  -- Twenty-four percent of men named Paris Hilton as their first choice for
     a road trip buddy. Less than 2 percent of women agreed.
  -- Seventy-seven percent of drivers would not cancel road trip plans if
     gas prices continue to increase. Forty-two percent would consider
     planning more or longer road trips if gas prices drop.

Survey Reveals Which Presidential Candidates Are Most, Least Popular Travel Companions

Drivers overall selected Rudy Giuliani as the presidential candidate with whom they'd most like to take a road trip. Although Hillary Clinton tied Barack Obama for most desirable road trip companion among Democrat respondents, Clinton's intense unpopularity with Republicans (80 percent voted to leave her behind) and Independents (52 percent voted not to take her) made her top the list of least desirable companions.

  Presidential Hopefuls With Whom People Most Would Like to Road Trip
  26%  Rudy Giuliani
  20%  Barack Obama
  18%  Hillary Clinton
  17%  John McCain
  13%  John Edwards
  6%   Mitt Romney

  Presidential Hopefuls With Whom People Least Would Like to Road Trip
  52%  Hillary Clinton
  13%  Mitt Romney
  12%  John McCain
  10%  Rudy Giuliani
  7%   Barack Obama
  6%   John Edwards

  Celebrity Road Tripping

Ellen DeGeneres was the most popular celebrity road trip companion for all ages, except respondents between the ages of 18 and 28. For that age group, Will Ferrell was the celebrity of choice. It was Ellen's appeal among women that put her in the top spot.

  Celebrities With Whom People Most Would Like to Road Trip
  32%  Ellen DeGeneres
  24%  Oprah
  23%  Will Ferrell
  14%  Paris Hilton
  7%   Simon Cowell

Survey Looked at Distracting Behaviors, Getting Lost and Family Destinations

The survey showed the older the drivers, the less they engage in distracting activities behind the wheel. The worst offenders were those between the ages of 18 and 28. One hundred percent of drivers polled said they took part in all or some of the activities below.

  Percentage of People Who Engage in Distracting Behaviors While Driving
  65%  change radio stations
  56%  eat
  41%  talk on a cell phone
  21%  fall asleep at the wheel
  12%  read
  5%   put on makeup

Seventy-five percent of those surveyed say they have gotten lost on a road trip. More than half of those said they consulted a map rather than pulling over to ask for directions. Ten percent of men admitted they did not do either. It took most people 15 minutes or longer to realize they were lost.

  Time it Took for People to Realize They Were Lost
  44%  within five minutes
  36%  within 15 minutes
  13%  within 30 minutes
  3%   within an hour
  3%   more than an hour

More than half of the people surveyed said they spent at least a quarter of their time on a road trip arguing with friends or family. They also let Rand McNally in on what they view as the best road trip destinations for children.

  Best Road Trip Destinations for Children
  38%  Walt Disney World(R) or Disneyland(R)
  28%  ocean, lake or beach
  16%  national parks
  7%   grandparent's house
  6%   historic sites
  4%   the mountains

  About Rand McNally & Company

Rand McNally is North America's largest commercial maker of national and local maps, street guides and atlases. The company's print and electronic products include America's No. 1 Road Atlas, The Thomas Guide(R) map books, custom-made wall maps on the Web, wireless navigation solutions and online maps, directions and trip planning at http://www.randmcnally.com/.

Rand McNally offers the most trusted tools to discover, map and navigate your world. The company leads the way with innovative products and services for the consumer, business, education and commercial transportation markets. For more information, visit http://www.randmcnally.com/ or call (800) 333-0136.