Three-quarters of adults argue in the car as daily journeys seen as ‘relationship battlegrounds’

Three-quarters of UK adults have argued with someone while travelling in the car, with unsolicited driving advice being a key reason for a fallout.

A recent study has found that rubbish being left in the vehicle is another primary cause for an argument, while disagreements over where to park, road rage and disputes over music and temperature controls have all been cited as reasons to argue.

The survey by Geely of 2,009 UK adults also found that many arguments spark before the journey has even started, with more than a third admitting that disagreements start when packing the car for a longer trip. Some 43 per cent of respondents would rather take charge of packing the car themselves, too, as they ‘do not trust others to do it properly’.

Geely has just announced Olympic cyclists Dame Laura Kenny and Sir Jason Kenny as brand ambassadors, with Laura admitting that the pair have ‘definitely had a few debates over the years about the best way to load a car for a trip’.

The findings also found that younger motorists seem to be more prone to conflict. More than half of those aged 18 to 24 said that packing the car causes an argument, contrasting with the 21 per cent of over-55s who said the same.

Younger drivers also said that their disagreements lasted longer, with most conflicts lasting an average of 11 minutes, rather than seven minutes among older motorists.