Urgently Predicts Higher Than Normal Automobile Usage as Economy Reopens

Urgently expects increased miles driven to propel year-over-year growth of mobility and roadside assistance volumes to as much as 130% this summer, as pandemic restrictions lift and consumers take to the road for leisure travel. 

VIENNA, VA (June 24, 2020) – Urgently, the leading Global Mobility and Roadside Assistance Platform, anticipates higher than normal automobile usage as the US economy reopens in the wake of COVID-19 shutdowns. The company has been closely tracking traffic volumes and mobility data by state throughout the pandemic and is forecasting miles driven to increase as pandemic restrictions lift and consumers take to the road for leisure travel.

Since bottoming out in April at 41% lower than historic averages, traffic returned to pre-pandemic volumes the week of June 7, one week earlier than previously forecast. Based on current forecasts, Urgently expects traffic to continue to increase, reaching as much as 130% of historic volumes by mid-July.

To verify its internal data modeling, Urgently recently conducted the “Summer 2020 Transportation & Travel Intentions Survey,” which revealed:

• 27.1% of U.S. drivers surveyed said they expect to increase use of their own car as stay-at-home orders lift and the economy reopens.
• 22.8% plan to decrease use of public transportation as they emerge from stay-at-home orders. 
• 33.5% plan to travel for summer vacation or holiday weekends.
• Among those planning leisure travel this summer, 60.8% will take their own car; 21.6% will fly; 9.6% will rent a car; 4.0% will choose a ride hailing service; and 1.1% will travel by rail. 
• 35.4% of respondents plan to travel at least 500 miles and 21.1% plan to travel at least 1,000 miles. 

“All indications are that we will see a substantial increase in vehicular travel as the US economy opens, and beyond,” said Chris Spanos, CEO and cofounder, Urgently. “As the number of miles driven increases, Urgently is well positioned to anticipate and respond to the needs of our current and future partners and their customers.”

With its proven global scale and reach, Urgently and its platform have performed at the highest levels throughout the dynamic market conditions of 2020.

“As states initiated stay-at-home orders, our customer feedback ratings, technology usage and ETA/ATAs continued to excel,” said Matt Booth, chief revenue and strategy officer, Urgently. “Partners see these statistics in real time for every roadside event. As a result, many partners began sending us additional dispatches and asking that we provide failover services to ensure even better experiences for their customers during this stressful time.”

Urgently’s global mobility and roadside assistance platform uses machine learning to effectively reduce or eliminate typical trouble spots by highlighting job triggers. These automated platform prompts vastly increase efficiency so the most important events receive focus at the right time. This automation combined with partner and customer transparency is a cornerstone of the company’s continued growth. 

Methodology: Summer 2020 Transportation & Travel Intentions Survey

Urgently’s “Summer 2020 Transportation & Travel Intentions Survey” was conducted online, May 22, 2020. It surveyed 531 US consumers, ages 18 and above, regarding their travel and transportation plans for the summer of 2020. Download infographic here. 

About Urgently

Urgently, which ranks No. 6 on the 2019 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 fastest-growing tech-forward companies in North America, No. 10 on Financial Times’ FT Ranking of The Americas’ Fastest-Growing Companies, and No. 12 on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the US, is the leading Global Mobility and Roadside Assistance Platform sitting at the center of expanding mobility and transportation options for consumers, automotive, logistics and technology companies. Urgently delivers help through a seamless, end-to-end digital platform, viewable by every stakeholder in real time. This is why Urgently is the choice of leading global brands trusted by millions of consumers across automotive, insurance, telematics and new technology transportation companies in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, visit www.geturgently.com or contact media@geturgently.com. 

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