Top items left behind while road-tripping in 2021

SALT LAKE CITY — Now that Americans are hitting the highways again for summer travel, more often, the words “Are we there yet?” are being replaced with “I forgot!” 

And it’s not uncommon, at least 50% of the people who are hitting the road have left an item behind.

A new AAA Utah survey of over 2,200 people found that 51% of today’s travelers have left behind at least one important item when taking a road trip.  Among the top items left behind are toothbrushes, cell phone chargers, hair care items, underwear, and socks.

For Utah travelers, the cell phone charger is the most common item left behind.

The state you live in may determine the kind of stress that forgetting something gives you: those from California feel the most stressed about forgetting something, while Arizonans were the least worried.  

The generation you affiliate with may determine how many things you forget. AAA Utah found that Boomers, on average, forget one or two items while Millennials and Gen Z-ers are likely to forget three or more things.

Travelers are also forgetting things on the way home from a trip. About 35 percent of respondents admitted to leaving behind a cell phone charger, the most common item left behind on road trips.

Rarely do these forgotten items ruin a trip, but why risk it when there are ways to help travelers remember everything they need? AAA Utah said being prepared is the best way to avoid forgetting or leaving items behind.  Their top tips include making a list, laying out everything prior to packing, get out the travel bags and pack in advance instead of the night before departure, and then double-check everything you wrote on your list.

Other stories:

• Salt Lake City Airport expects summer travel to surpass 2019 numbers

• Early extreme heat creating some Utah road problems already

• Bangerter Highway on the road to no more stoplights

 

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