Page 39 - 2021 Atlanta Auto Show Guide

THEN CAME THE CORONAVIRUS. Americans are doing their best to go on with their
In an instant, the positive public perception of
personal vehicle ownership was boosted by, of all
things, a pandemic. In just short few weeks, the
concept of crowding into airplanes, buses, subways,
and taxis became taboo. The Coronavirus, an
incredibly contagious infection, forced millions of
people to rethink how they go about their day-to-day
activities. Often times, those activities involve going
from A to B, B to C, and so on.
So, what do the numbers look like, now that COVID-19
has reared its head? Google research shows that
public transportation has seen a 28% decline, while
ridesharing services have taken a 26% hit. 24% of
survey respondents indicated that they have ceased
use of public transportation entirely. Social distancing
requirements and fear of catching the virus are the
dominant factors driving those statistics. And here’s
another key stat: 20% of people in the U.S. who do
not currently own a vehicle are now considering
purchasing one (NADA – Accelerating Auto Trends
in the time of COVID-19).
In another poll, conducted by Ipsos in April of 2020,
72% of public transit riders said that they would
either reduce their use of public transit or wait until
it was safe again. Contrast that with the 68% of U.S.
consumers who indicated that they will switch to
using their own cars as much or more than before
the Coronavirus pandemic (Reuters – Empty Trains,
Clogged Roads: Americans Get Behind the Wheel to
Avoid Transit).
Think about it. When you’re in your
personal vehicle, you’re in control, not just
from a standpoint of operating the vehicle
safely on the road, but also in regard to
the cleanliness of the vehicle. If you opt for
public transportation or ride sharing, the
cleanliness factor is a crapshoot. You have
to trust that someone else has taken the
care to disinfect the surfaces you will come
in contact with, as well as the ventilation
systems that are used. As evidenced by the
aforementioned surveys, more and more
people are opting out of that risk.
daily lives, and the pandemic has pushed us all to be
more and more creative about how we do it. Because
of the challenges posed by the Coronavirus, the role
of the automobile is being reinvented. Event spaces,
once accessible for things like birthday parties and
other celebrations, are either off-limits, or have their
access severely restricted. So, people are hosting
parties in their vehicles, parking in groups which
enable close enough proximity to enjoy socialization,
while still meeting social distancing guidelines.
There’s also “birthday parades,” where automotive
enthusiasts cruise by homes in their classics, muscle
cars, and exotics, all in an effort to bring smiles to
kids who are missing out on traditional celebrations.
And activities once popular decades ago are seeing
a resurgence. Remember drive-in movies? They’re
making a comeback.
How all of this translates into economic impact for
the automotive industry remains to be seen. There’s
obviously been an immediate impact on both
manufacturing and dealership operations as a direct
result of shelter-in-place measures that have been
implemented across the country, but if the survey
data on personal vehicle use holds true, then it may
ultimately translate into more vehicle sales as things
return to normal. But one thing is certain – there is
now a level of health safety attached to personal
vehicle ownership that public transportation cannot
provide. Our personal vehicles are enabling us to
move on. We need them now, more than ever.
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