One in six commuters listen to podcasts and music instead of radio, survey claims

Majority of respondents agree in-car entertainment options are the 'best they have ever been'

Just five years ago, the number of commuters who preferred podcasts and streamed music was just one in 12 (Rex Features)

Millions of Britons have shunned the radio on their commute – in favour of podcasts and playlists.

Researchers who carried out a survey of 2,000 UK motorists found one in six prefer opting for pre-recorded podcasts, downloaded playlists or streamed music from their phones.

Five years ago, this was the case for just one in 12 drivers.

Now, only 11 per cent listen to hard formats of audio including CDs, compared to a quarter of drivers five years ago.

Ponz Pandikuthira, a spokesperson from Nissan Europe, said; “In-car connectivity is one of the major transformational technologies of the automotive industry.

“Today, largely through smartphone connectivity, we have an infinite library of content at our fingertips.

"It’s perhaps no surprise that driver preferences are shifting towards on-demand and streamed services, rather than scheduled broadcasts or offline audio formats such as CD.”

He added: “Within the next decade, the integrated systems in our vehicles will be processing huge amounts of data.

"We’ll be streaming audio, navigational and visual information, entirely through cellular transmissions, with 4G and 5G connection speeds required to manage this data demand.”

The study also found 60 per cent of drivers found driving “more fun” if they were able to listen to music or other entertainment.

And even if they were only driving a short distance, eight in 10 drivers usually listened to something in their car.

Research revealed music, comedy and sport were the top podcast topics to listen to during a commute and the genre of music most likely to be found on in-car playlists was “pop”.

Listening to audio during a car journey was considered a positive way to start the day, with over one third of drivers admitting the reason they listened to audio was because it relaxed them and put them in a good mood.

However, only 46 per cent of respondents knew how to work all of their in-car entertainment technology.

One third of drivers admitted they are glad they drive now compared to 30 years ago when car technology was not as advanced.

A further 65 per cent agreed that the options for in-car entertainment were the “best they have ever been” today.

The research, conducted via OnePoll, also revealed nostalgic items that are no longer found in cars, including a steering lock, an ash tray and a paper A-Z.

It also emerged the majority of drivers today keep a phone charger, reusable shopping bags and a CD player in their cars.

SWNS