More American Families Expected to Hit the Road This Summer

Biggest Road Trip Pet-Peeves Revealed; Family-Friendly Solutions Suggested

RICHMOND, Va., May 12 -- With the peak vacation season fast approaching, the number of Americans jetting overseas may be at historic lows this spring and summer. At the same time, the number of Americans choosing to take a driving vacation within the U.S. may approach all-time highs, according to the Travel Industry Association of America.(1)

So, for millions of America's families, a road trip is in the works ... and parents are looking for ways to keep the children happy and quiet in the back seat. Circuit City is geared up to help.

Circuit City wanted to know how parents and children cope with the family road trip. So, the Company commissioned the "Circuit City Are We There Yet? Summer Survey."(2) It polled 1,500 parents and 1,500 young people nationwide and found:

  * A majority of parents (56%) said the tedium of the long drive annoys
    them the most about road trips. And young people agree; 51 percent say
    the worst aspect of the family road trip is back seat boredom.

  * Communication was another issue that surfaced in the Circuit City
    survey.  Seventy-two percent of parents reported they had lost track of
    a family member during a vacation.  And significant numbers of parents
    (25%) and children (18%) rated losing touch with people and events back
    home as the worst aspect of a family vacation.

  * Other road trip aggravations for parents included back seat distractions
    (32%), getting lost (26%) and having to stop for frequent potty breaks
    (27%).

  * Rounding out the results, 21 percent of young people surveyed said their
    chief gripe with family vacations was being embarrassed by their
    parents!

WHILE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY MIGHT NOT MAKE GROWNUPS "COOL," CIRCUIT CITY OFFERS SOLUTIONS TO HELP MAKE THE FAMILY ROAD TRIP FUN:

  Cures for boredom:
  * Mobile video systems provide hours of entertainment for children in the
    back seat and quiet time for parents. Systems, such as the Audiovox
    Portable VHS with 5" color LCD flip-up screen ($249.99), set up in
    minutes by simply placing straps over the front seat, allowing back seat
    passengers to watch movies or play video games. And, with two headphone
    jacks, parents are free to listen to the radio or have a conversation.
  * The Game Boy(R) Advance SP ($99.99) features a lighted screen that makes
    it easier to play! Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery is good for 10
    hours of continuous play with the light on and 18 hours of play with the
    light off.
  * GameCube(TM) owners can now take gaming on the road with Mad Catz's
    Color Travel Display ($99.99).  The portable screen features an
    integrated stereo sound system and a 5.4" LCD screen that snaps right
    into the GameCube(TM).
  * Tired of flipping the radio dial every 50 miles? Switch to Digital
    Satellite Radio and you can listen to your favorite music no matter
    where you travel. The Delphi SKYFI(R) XM Receiver with car kit ($199.99)
    offers access to 101 music, news, sports and entertainment channels with
    XM radio service ($9.99 monthly service fee required).
  * Take your digital music along for the ride with an MP3 player.  The RCA
    Lyra(R) Personal Digital Player ($129.99) is a 128MB MP3 player that
    stores more than two hours of portable, skip-free digital music and has
    a built-in FM tuner. The player is so small it can fit in the palm of
    your hand. In fact, it's probably smaller than the palm of your hand!

  Communication solutions:
  * Keep track of family members while visiting theme parks or the beach
    with a family radio system. The Motorola Two-Way Radio Pair ($39.95)
    offers 14 channels for a clear, secure signal.
  * With a wireless phone, you're never too far from home.  Log on to
    www.circuitcity.com and visit our wireless advisor to find out which
    wireless plan will work best for your family.

  Know where you're going:
  * With the Garmin GPS V Deluxe Handheld Unit ($499.99), you'll never get
    lost again. This versatile navigator does everything but the driving! It
    calculates your route and gives turn-by-turn directions. It even beeps
    to let you know a turn is coming!

  Capture the moment:
  * Make sure those vacation memories last a lifetime. With a digital
    camera, you will know instantly if you took the picture you want! You'll
    never have to wait for the film to be developed to find out you cut off
    the top of Uncle Joe's head or the sunlight washed out the children's
    sandcastle. Maximize the convenience of digital imaging with the Kodak
    3.1 megapixel EasyShare Digital Camera ($329.99) and the Kodak EasyShare
    Printer Dock ($199.99). Simply place the camera onto the docking station
    for photo-quality prints in just seconds.

  For more Information see http://www.circuitcity.com/

  (1) The Travel Industry Association of America found 82 percent of
      Americans plan to travel this spring and summer.  Most said they are
      not interested in going overseas, but would rather travel by auto, RV
      or motorcoach and visit small towns and rural areas in the U.S.
      (www.tia.org)
  (2) The "Circuit City Are We There Yet? Summer Survey" was commissioned by
      Circuit City Stores, Inc. and conducted on the Internet by Impulse
      Research Corporation of Los Angeles, Calif. The survey's margin of
      error is +/-2.5%.