By , Ryan Rudnansky
Published November 05, 2015
A new survey indicates that the grand majority of travelers do not purchase protection plans for their mobile electronic devices, despite the inherent dangers that are associated with traveling.
The “Traveling with Tech” survey from Protect Your Bubble — a nationwide provider of protection plans — was presented to more than 780 people across the United States in August, ultimately coming away with some interesting answers.
Despite 50 percent of survey respondents worrying about some kind of device malfunction during their travels, 87 percent noted that they do not use a more hardy case or purchase a protection plan for their smartphone before business or leisure travel.
And despite 29 percent of respondents concerned about water damage to their phones, 58 percent of travelers bring their devices with them for water-based activities anyway (including jet skiing, deep sea fishing and snorkeling).
“Technology helps us find our way, stay connected and capture memories while traveling, but using our devices on the go can lead to more opportunities for damage,” said Stacey Vogler, U.S. managing director for Protect Your Bubble, via a release. “Accidentally leaving your tablet on the airplane, getting water damage to your phone on a cruise or breaking your camera while on a hike are just a few of the hundreds of scenarios in which you could damage your devices. Adding protection to your technology before traveling is just as important as making sure you have secured your travel reservations.”
The survey also found that the smartphone is the most popular technology item among survey participants. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of women spend five hours or more per day on their smartphone during business trips, while nearly half (49 percent) of men do so.
Laptops and portable chargers were also popular devices among business travelers.
For leisure trips, the smartphone, portable charger and digital camera were the three most popular carry-ons.
As for the hyped Apple Watch, it appears the wearable device is still a ways from being a mainstream item. Less than one percent of participants say they currently travel with an Apple Watch.
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https://www.foxnews.com/travel/travelers-skimping-on-mobile-device-protection-plans-according-to-survey