Hertz Survey Helps Develop Formula for Road Trip

Hertz has revealed a scientific formula for the perfect summer road trip. Taking in factors such as the number of passengers, destination and a car's level of comfort, Dr. David Holmes, a U.K. psychologist and author, has devised the equation to help travelers plan the most enjoyable drive, says Hertz.

According to a Hertz survey used to develop the theory, 42% of the U.K. population is more likely to take a holiday by car this year compared to previous years and nearly 46% would like to take to the road to explore new places in the U.K.

For a road trip, the comfort of the vehicle was named as the top car-related element at 80%, according to the survey.

Using the Hertz survey, Holmes devised a formula that consists of a new experience or destination, between two and four passengers of an equal gender mix, a comfortable car and four to six hours with three or four stops along the way.

Hertz's scientific formula for the perfect road trip holiday:

(A+TD+C) x (F+P)/H - (G+N+W) 

(A) = Outgoing personality
(TD) = Proportion of trusted drivers
(C) = Car-comfort factor
(F) = Freedom factor
(P) = New places to visit
(G) = Gender mix
(N) = Number of travelers
(W) = Weather
(H) = Hours of travel

"While this formula may not account for every eventuality, it should provide the basic guidelines to send you on the road to the perfect sunset,” said Holmes. “… Road trips can provide an adult version of the psychological boost that a child gets by simply going out to play, and you may come back with new skills and enduring memories that a package holiday could never provide. ..."