DETROIT, Nov. 18, 2020 -- At a time when many Americans are adapting to a lifestyle with fewer places to go, a new survey from Ally finds that cars and personal transportation are more essential to people's lives than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seventy-two percent of car owners say that going for a drive alone allows them to clear to their head, according to a survey of 2,000 American adults conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Ally Financial. Nearly three-quarters of men (73%) and more than half of women (53%) consider their car to be their personal "fortress of solitude."

Ally survey finds that the essential value of cars is increasing during pandemic, along with financial anxiety.

In addition, the pandemic has caused Americans to rethink their desired mode of transportation. Nearly 3 out of four Americans, 72%, are wary of using public transportation because of COVID-19. This isn't just a short-term trend—69% of car owners say they plan on driving more after the pandemic ends rather than use public transportation.