Spring Break 2022: Rental Cars, Road Trips, and Revenge Travel

Americans are getting ready to take to the road this spring.

This year, Clearcover surveyed over 600 Americans to learn more about what spring travel will look like in 2022. The verdict? As cravings for a change in scenery continue to intensify, we’re looking at a tidal wave of “revenge travel.”

In 2021, we saw the rise of the road trip, as 62% of spring break travelers planned to drive, while only 25% planned to fly. This year, road trips remain a top choice for travelers, and will be accompanied by a noteworthy spike in rental car popularity.

In this article, we’ll look at the state of spring break travel today, road trip trends, the rise in price and demand for rental cars, and a few best practices to help make your car rental experience a breeze.

The grand return of revenge travel

As COVID-19 variants become milder and vaccination rates remain steady, Americans are eager to travel and get back to some semblance of “normal.” 88% of the people we surveyed said they have plans to travel within the next 90 days, with 41% planning on traveling within the next 30 days.

This year, people are ready to heal from their canceled travel plan trauma and are jumping at the opportunity to travel again. Americans were 283% more likely to say they had no plans to travel for spring break in 2021 than they were this year. These findings strongly align with the Washington Post’s recent report on the increasing demand for travel agents, hotel operators, and restaurants.

Travelers are taking to the road

Similar to what we saw last spring, road trips are proving to be a popular choice for travelers this season. With lingering COVID concerns and unprecedented flight delays and cancellations, our study shows that 67% of travelers with plans within the next 90 days plan to do so by car. 78% of those travelers said that COVID-19 related concerns factored into their choice to drive instead of fly.

Utahns are strappin’ on their skis this spring

Utah travelers are ready to hit the road! 65% of our respondents from Utah said they had plans to drive somewhere within the state in the next 30 days, with 85% of them planning to do so again in the summer.

So, where are they going? They’re hitting the slopes! Ski resorts were found to be the most popular Utah destination for drivers in the next 30 days, with Brighton Ski Resort (13%), Park City Ski Resort (13%), and Alta Ski Area (10%) leading as the top three choices. Other top Utah destinations, according to respondents, include Zion National Park, Snow Canyon State Park, and Great Salt Lake are among other top destinations.

Rental cars are on the rise, and so are their prices.

Whether driving or flying, many Americans say they are likely to include at least one rental car in their travel plans. 51% of those taking a road trip within the next 90 days plan on renting a car. As for the flyers, 77% of those flying to their destination are planning to rent a car once they get there.

This rise in rental car demand, however, comes at a time when rental car companies are already struggling to bounce back from the shortage we saw back in 2021. According to this article from the Wall Street Journal, many rental car companies are still working to restock their fleets after selling off large portions at the beginning of the pandemic. Unfortunately, this means that the pickings are slim and many travelers are being left to settle for cars that do not match their preferences (or even their basic needs). This is particularly frustrating for the people who, like 26% of our respondents, see renting a car as an opportunity for an upgrade, and especially so for the 99% of them that would prefer a rental car that is newer than their own vehicle.

Another factor compounding the rental car dilemma is that car companies are facing a computer-chip shortage, stifling new vehicle supplies and substantially decreasing factory output. And with revenge travel in full swing, the perfect storm of increased demand and constrained availability has led to a sizable surge in rental car prices.

93% of the travelers planning to rent a car this spring said it cost them significantly more than previous years, reporting an average increase of $88 in daily rental costs. On top of the increase in daily rental cost, our research shows that many drivers are opening themselves up for additional expenses that can often be avoided.

When renting a car, 39% of drivers said they often forget to fill the car up with gas before returning it, resulting in hefty charges from the rental car company at the gas prices they set. Parents were 237% more likely to say they forget to fill up the car than those without children, and men were 26% more likely than women.

Bad behaviors could increase your chance of risk.

Our study showed that many drivers may also be exposing themselves to a higher chance of risk by breaching their rental contracts or engaging in bad behaviors. 83% of those who are planning to rent a car this spring say they will likely not be the only ones behind the wheel of the rental. 82% of those drivers said that they typically do not inform the car rental company that there might be additional drivers.

When first picking up their rental cars, 69% of respondents said they don’t always do a walkthrough inspection with a rental car company representative to check for existing damage. Women were 37% more likely than men to say they always do a walkthrough inspection, and respondents without children were 44% more likely than those with children.

As far as behaviors behind the wheel go, 44% of respondents said that they have eaten a meal while driving a rental. 26% admitted to texting behind the wheel of a rental car. Defying stereotypes, members of Gen Z were 42% less likely than average to say they had done this. 15% of respondents said they had smoked while driving a rental car.

Our findings also revealed that many of those who admitted to committing these risky behaviors claimed they would not do so in their own vehicles. 18% of the drivers who said they have eaten a meal while driving a rental car claim they do not eat while driving their own vehicle. Of the drivers who admitted to texting while driving a rental car, 19% said that they would not do the same while driving their own vehicle. Finally, 31% of those who said they smoked while driving a rental car said they would not smoke in their own car.

For some, driving a car that’s not their own can be intimidating or nerve-wracking.

Safe driving habits help prevent accidents and keep you and others on the road safe. Along with standard safe driving practices, comfortability with a vehicle and its features can also play a large part in feeling safe while driving. 49% of our respondents say they feel most comfortable renting a car with similar features to their own car. Backup cameras and all-wheel drive were two of the top features preferred by drivers.

How to save money on your next rental.

Rental insurance is another thing that can offer an extra level of comfort and sense of security when renting a car. However, 20% of our survey respondents rated their insurance knowledge as “low.”

Many car insurance policies include comprehensive and collision coverage to cover the cost of repairs or replacement for your vehicle if it hits another vehicle or property (collision), or to protect your vehicle from storm damage, severe weather, theft, and more (comprehensive). This coverage will often extend to your rental car, so it’s important to know your personal car insurance policy coverages and limits to avoid paying for extra coverage you don’t need.

While 56% of our survey respondents admitted they are unsure if their personal insurance policy covers car rentals (Baby Boomers were 36% less likely to say this), we still had 67% say that they usually purchase the insurance offered by the car rental provider.

48% of the drivers in our survey said they’ve purchased insurance through the rental car company, only to find out later that they would have been covered by their own policy.

In addition to knowing exactly what your personal auto insurance policy covers, it may be worth checking in with your credit card provider(s) to see if they offer any sort of coverage. Some credit cards will include extra insurance coverage if you use their card to pay for your rental car. However, insurance issued through credit card providers is often “secondary” coverage (it will only cover the expenses that exceed what your auto insurance will pay), so it’s important to check the fine print.

This spring break, leave the stress behind by taking control of your coverage with Clearcover.

As you plan your spring travels, make sure you’ve got the right coverage so you can travel with confidence and focus on enjoying your next adventure.

At Clearcover, we believe you shouldn’t have to be a car insurance expert to understand your policy. That’s why we’re committed to making car insurance fast, easy, and hassle-free.

We’ll help you take control of your coverage and find a policy that you can feel confident in. And with our award-winning app, everything you need to manage your policy is right in the palm of your hand.

Get a free, no-obligation quote today.

*We polled +612 U.S. residents on their spring break travel plans. The survey was conducted at 95% confidence, +/- 4% margin of error.