Endless wails, urgent bathroom demands, and shoddy mobile service rank among the top frustrations on family road trips, reveals fresh research. The study, which surveyed 1,500 parents who frequently embark on road journeys with their children under 16, found that warding off complaints of dullness was a recurrent struggle to keep the kids amused.

The survey highlighted modern grievances such as missing internet connections and unreliable satellite navigation instructions among the leading annoyances in the top 20 list. Surpassing these concerns, however, were frustrating road closures, resulting traffic jams and the snacks running out. 

Commissioned to mark the release of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 FE, the research also uncovered that on an average trip generally surpassing 50 miles the infamous query “Are we there yet?” is posed five times.

A sizeable amount confessed to enduring this question over 10 times during a typical outing, with 17% citing it as the most grating phrase they could hear, surpassing other contenders like “I need the toilet” or “I’m bored”.

Regionally speaking, 20% of those in the West Midlands askr ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ within the first half-hour, and 44% broach the question within the hour. Conversely, families from the East of England reportedly ask the question at least 10 times on an ordinary road trip.

Diversity member, Jordan Banjo, shared: “As a dad of three, ‘Are we there yet?’ is a familiar soundtrack in my car. It’s not about keeping the kids quiet; it’s about making those long drives fun for everyone.”

A whopping 90% of respondents said access to WiFi or mobile data was crucial to the smooth running of a journey, as loading up a tablet with films, TV shows, and games was the most common solution to combating boredom and frustration on a long journey.

Over half of families rate tablets as their go-to travel gadget. In fact, 48% claim tech helps keep the kids quiet so they can concentrate on driving, and 27% think it engages the whole family in a shared activity.

Annika Bizon, spokesperson for the phone brand, said: “Working out how to keep your children entertained in the car can be as stressful as planning a family trip itself.

“Parents often need technology like tablets to be an additional travel companion for long journeys, helping the entire family to beat both boredom and frustration. It’s not about filling the time; it’s about enriching the journey for everyone in the car.”

While packing healthy snacks (34%), classic car games (32%), and setting challenges like spotting certain coloured cars or road signs (28%) were other methods they had up their sleeve.

To qualify as a “road trip”, a journey must take at least two hours in the car and cover more than 150 miles, with the longest with the kids in the back averaging 362 miles.

According to data from OnePoll.com, an average journey would involve two stops and three instances of disagreements or arguments.