Thinking Outside Of The Glove Box

(NAPSI)-While the glove box is a standard feature in nearly all makes and models, today's glove boxes no longer go hand in glove.

A survey found that 84 percent of Americans no longer use the glove box to store gloves, which is what the space was originally designed for when it was first introduced in the 1920s. In fact, 72 percent of people do not know how the compartment originally got its name.

Steering Clear Of Crime

Whatever you choose to store in the glove box, don't use the compartment to store your vehicle title. According to a Dodge brand survey, 44 percent of Americans are unintentionally sending an invitation to car thieves by storing their vehicle title in their glove box. If a vehicle title gets in a car thief's hands, he or she has the right to change the name on the title, sell or even legally drive the vehicle.

A Refreshing Idea

Eighty-eight percent of people surveyed said they would store chilled water or juice in their glove box if there were a compartment to keep beverages cooled. Forty-three percent would store soda and 42 percent would store snack food. Consumers will be happy to learn about a new glove box feature known as the Chill Zone™ chilled beverage storage bin in the new 2008 Dodge Avenger. Housed in the passenger side upper instrument panel, the bin can hold and chill as many as four 12-ounce beverage cans.

What's In A Name

According to the survey, a name such as map box, tissue box or flashlight box may be more appropriate then glove box, with 63, 71 and 53 percent of respondents using the glove box to store those items respectively.

The survey also found that drivers use the box for storing:

• First-aid kits (38 percent)

• Sunglasses (47 percent)

• Proof of insurance (94 percent)

As a final note, more than one in four drivers said that the glove box is the least used compartment in the car. But with Dodge's move to revolutionize the glove box, the Chill Zone™ could reverse that trend.

For more information, visit www.dodge.com/avenger.