Market research firm Harris Interactive’s AutoTechcast on Wednesday reported that almost two-thirds (65 percent) of adult automobile owners who also have iPods or other MP3 players use the device in their vehicles.
The automobile owners use some type of adapter to use their player while driving, the study reports. Overall, about one in ten (12 percent) of all adult automobile owners also have iPods or MP3 players; usage in vehicles is heavily weighted depending on the driver’s age. Younger drivers, 44 and younger, are most likely to use the devices.
The study was conducted among 12,857 U.S. adults ages 18 and over who own or lease a vehicle, according to Harris Interactive.
iPod automobile interfaces such as cassette adapters and FM transmitters have proven to be a popular option for new iPod owners, but their days may be numbered, if Harris Interactive’s research is any indication: More than half (52 percent) of consumers who own or use an iPod in their vehicle, and 14 percent of all adult vehicle owners, said they’re extremely or very likely to consider purchasing an interface for their vehicle — but FM transmitters and cassette adapters are the least preferred. Instead, respondents want either an auxiliary jack, Bluetooth, FireWire or USB interface.