“In love with our cars but not rules of the road, not with other drivers and not with road tax”, this was the summary of 123.ie SMILES index to find out the Happiness of Drivers in Ireland. Consumers in Ireland are ready to sacrifice almost anything before their cars if they faced financial difficulty. 92% of respondents to the SMILES Index on driver happiness say that their car is an essential part showcasing their way of life. But not everyone is happy on the road and overall 73% of them complain about fuel costs rising to 82% of drivers in Connaught. And cars are no longer toys for boys with 92% of women saying they are happy to attempt to repair their husband’s car.
Other facts from the survey that shows the attachment to the motor cars includes only 3% of consumers who would get rid of their car first if faced with financial difficulty. Otherwise 48% of the consumers would ruthlessly drop holidays, 24% household luxuries, 13% TV packages and 11% gadgets before getting rid of their cars if faced with financial hardships.
Below is an infographic from the survey taken from people across different parts of Ireland:
