Exxon Survey Tells of Preferred Amenities, Driver Quirks
                   and Those Who'd 'Rather Be Singing'

    HOUSTON, May 13 /PRNewswire/ -- You're lost.  You're hungry.  You've had
so much coffee you're about to pop.  Whatever the reason, you're hunting down
the next service station for a quick pit stop.  With insight provided by its
new survey, Exxon has a feeling you'll be stopping by and knows just what
you need.
    Results from Exxon Company USA's 1998 Survey on Driver Behavior today
revealed some of America's preferred rules of the road.  That, and the fact
that most American drivers would rather take a road trip with Robin Williams,
Garth Brooks, Helen Hunt and other celebrities than with their spouses.
    In connection with Exxon's new national "Driver Friendly" campaign, Exxon
sponsored the survey of 1,000 licensed drivers ages 18 and older on driver
preferences and behaviors.  Results of the phone survey, conducted in April,
will help fuel a nationwide tune-up for more than 2,000 Exxon-owned stores and
up to 6,500 participating Exxon distributor-owned stores.
    "Exxon has been studying the needs, wants, attitudes and behaviors of the
nation's drivers for years," said Jim Carter, vice president of marketing for
Exxon Company USA.  "Candid customer feedback derived by driver surveys helps
us become a better one-stop service shop.  We know that drivers don't really
want to stop at all, but when they do, they typically want gasoline and a
whole lot more."
    From a list of potential passengers, Williams ranked first with nearly
one-quarter (22 percent) of the votes; Brooks and Hunt each garnered
15 percent of the responses; followed by nearly 10 percent each for John
Travolta and the cast of Seinfeld.  Leonardo DiCaprio and the driver's own
spouse rounded out the list, each with five percent of the vote.

    Survey Highlights
    In addition to revealing Americas dream passengers, the survey exposed
other driver preferences and idiosyncrasies.  The following are highlights of
the survey:
    -- The top three reasons drivers stop frequently during a road trip
       are gasoline (31 percent), restroom breaks (28 percent) and food or
       beverages (24 percent). Only 6 percent stop to take photos and only
       2 percent stop for directions.
    -- Only 2 percent of drivers wait until their fuel gauge registers
       "empty," and only 9 percent wait until the tank is almost empty
       before stopping for gasoline.  Fifty percent of respondents fill up
       when the gauge is at one-quarter and 34 percent fill up when the gauge
       is at one-half.
    -- More than half of the drivers surveyed (53 percent) consider a clean
       restroom most valuable on a driving vacation while almost one-quarter
       (24 percent) consider food and beverages most valuable.
    -- When motorists do stop for directions, they typically stop at a gas
       station and ask for help (47 percent) or pull over and look at a
       map (38 percent).  The survey confirmed that more women (54 percent)
       ask for directions at a gas station than men (39 percent), but more men
       (42 percent) than women (34 percent) rely on a map for directions.
       Only 6 percent pull over and ask someone on the street or in another
       vehicle.  Only 4 percent will call someone -- or not ask at all and
       continue trying to find their way.
    -- Almost two-thirds of drivers (66 percent) sing aloud when driving alone
       and almost one-third (29 percent) of drivers talk on a cellular phone.
    -- When consuming beverages while driving, most people (61 percent) use
       cup holders of some type to keep their beverages from spilling rather
       than holding them in their lap (11 percent) or putting them on the
       dashboard (only 2 percent).
    -- More drivers stop for a restroom break at a roadside rest stop or a
       restaurant (33 percent each) than a service station (26 percent).
    -- Few drivers do their personal grooming while behind the wheel.  Less
       than 20 percent of the women surveyed put on make-up while only 10
       percent of men say they shave.
    -- Nearly all drivers (80 percent) consume beverages and nearly three-
       quarters (70 percent) eat while driving alone.  Only 10 percent of
       motorists say they never drink beverages in their vehicle.

    OmniTel, a weekly national telephone service, conducted the random
telephone survey with a balanced sample of men and women.

    About Exxon
    The Exxon "Driver Friendly" commitment includes a broad-scale upgrade of
Exxon's products and services (depending on location) to improve the entire
driving experience and, thus, make drivers' stops more pleasant and
productive.  Exxon is implementing the program in more than 2,000 company-
owned stores and up to another 6,500 participating independently distributor-
owned locations over the next two years.  New amenities include antibacterial,
waterless hand soap and music at the pumps; gourmet coffees; fresh fruit and
baked goods sections; easy access to area maps; and cleaner, "kid-friendly"
restrooms.
    Exxon Company USA, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is the domestic oil
and gas division of Exxon Corporation, located in Irving, Texas.

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