Yogcar is an audio app for drivers that provides guidance for safe subtle movements and positive messages inspired by yoga and mindfulness. Be more comfortable, more relaxed, and more focused while you drive.
ADELAIDE, Australia, 26 April 2017
In late 2016, with the Beta version of Yogcar in our hot little hands, we launched our beta testing process.
Around 40 people used Yogcar for about two weeks and 17 of these completed our online survey. We know that that’s not many responses, but as anyone who has run a survey knows, it isn’t easy to get people to take the time to help you with your beta user investigations. This is actually a pretty good response rate and we learned many useful things from conducting the survey. Below we present a selection of the survey data and written responses to various questions from respondents.
Overall, do you agree with the statement: ‘Yogcar makes my experience of driving more pleasant’?
This was an encouraging result: 72% of respondents reported that Yogcar made the experience of driving more pleasant.
Do you agree with the following statement: ‘I found that Yogcar distracted me and had a negative influence on the attention and focus that I devoted to driving’?
This was an important question – we want to be sure that Yogcar does not have a negative influence on attention and focus on the task of driving – 88% of respondents disagreed with the statement that “Yogcar distracted me and had a negative influence on the attention and focus that I devoted to driving”.
Do you have any comment on how Yogcar affected your driving experience from the perspective of attention and safety?
We received the following comments in response to this question:
- Through repeated gentle encouragements to maintain road focus, probably improved driving attentiveness.
- I was still able to operate my car normally and exercise the usual amount of attention and safety.
- I did not feel my safety or attention was compromised. I turned off the instruction in my head just like I do with listening to radio.
- It took a while to adjust to listening to Yogcar while focusing on driving in the metropolitan area. My attention came off the audio when decelerating, changing lanes, and avoiding proximity with other vehicles and pedestrians.
- I liked the reminders during the exercises to be aware of the road and conditions around me. If something needed my full attention on the road I would automatically tune out the yogcar narrative so being distracted by it was not a problem. I initially thought the ‘safety tips’ might be an annoying feature but to my surprise I ended up enjoying listening to them. They were crafted in a very pleasant way and made me feel safer as I became more conscious of the importance to drive safely.
Do you agree with the statement: ‘Yogcar makes me feel physically better when driving compared to not using it’?
Again, we received a positive response to this question with 88% of respondents reporting that Yogcar made them feel physically better.
Do you have any comment on how Yogcar affected your physical wellbeing and comfort while driving?
As a follow-up question to the previous one, we asked for comments on the perception of physical well-being associated with using Yogcar:
- After neck exercises I found it easier to turn my head when checking blind spots prior to changing lanes.
- Great improvement in energy and reduction in muscular tension.
- Following the Yogcar instruction made me more aware of my body and the gentle movements I could make to relieve tension. I arrived at my destination feeling relatively refreshed.
- I used Yogcar both driving and as passenger. Both experiences good.
Do you agree with the statement: ‘Listening to Yogcar while driving made me feel more relaxed, comfortable and attentive to my driving’?
This question was aimed at the well-being and safety issues again. We were examing the issue of Yogcar and safety in a number of questions because we wanted a cross-check of this issue. 72% of respondents reported feeling “more relaxed, comfortable and attentive to my driving”. No respondent report feeling less comfortable or less attentive.
Do you agree with the statement: ‘Yogcar improves my focus and attention on the tasks of driving’?
This question was aimed directly at the issue of focus, attention and safety. 41% were neutral on this question and 54% reported that Yogcar improved their focus and attention on the tasks of driving. One person who received a phone call while using Yogcar experienced difficulty stopping Yogcar and answering his call. The auto-stop upon incoming call feature was not implimented in the beta version of Yogcar.
Did you find Yogcar easy to use?
This was a gratifying result: 29% of beta testers found Yogcar “extremely easy to use” while 83% were on ‘the easy side of neutral’.
If you have a comment about your experience with Yogcar that you would like to share please do so here.
- A great alternative to listening to music while driving!
- I was very impressed with the bright, fun presentation of the app and with the rapid physical benefits of using Yogcar during my short daily drives.
- I loved the flow and pace of Yogcar. I found it very easy to do the movements whilst driving. In fact I felt a deeper connection to my driving experience.
- Using Yogcar makes me aware of how much tension I hold in my body when driving, and how easily I can relax with gentle exercises while keeping my focus on the road.
- I used the neck movements as I had a stiff neck. By the time I arrived at my destination I had improved range of movement.
- On the days I have listend to Yogcar after a busy day at work, I noticed that I arrived home much more relaxed and restored. My profession can be very emotionally draining, so having a self-care regimen is essential to stave-off burnout. Yogcar nicely contributes to my self-care by allowing me to refocus on my body and come back to the present moment, ensuring I don’t mentally carry work with me home.
- Yogcar helps me bring more mindfulness to my driving.
- If I were driving long distances I would listen to a Yogcar session for a half hour or so, and then switch over to music. On the open highway Yogcar is a treat to listen to and follow along with as traffic moves along smoothly and requires less focus, and I enjoy the movements and listening to the flow of a session.
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If you would like further information on Yogcar or if you would like to schedule an interview please contact:
Simon Molloy
enquiries@yogcar.com
www.yogcar.com