Confused.com Reveals Cost of Back Seat Driver Distractions

CARDIFF, Wales, May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

Confused.com has revealed the true cost of giving friends and families a ride home.
Two thirds (66%) of British motorists have been victims of unwanted attention from
self-appointed back seat drivers, and almost 1 in 4 (24%) have been in an accident whilst
dealing with the distractions of other passengers. These distractions mean that 20% of
British motorists will have to fork out up to GBP500 to repair accidental damages ’caused’
by back seat drivers in their driving life.

The research from the car insurance [http://www.confused.com ] experts also reveals
that the worst backseat pests are bus drivers, train drivers and delivery men who
obviously forget that they’re off duty. On the other hand, teachers are the most patient
of passengers and put up with the driver’s bad habits.

When it comes to family life, most respondents confess that they would rather journey
with colleagues than loved ones. This is because partners are the worst backseat drivers,
with husbands and boyfriends disrupting the driver most often and 45% of them voicing
their traffic-tips several times during the shortest of journeys.

Particularly bad at knowing when to keep quiet are parents who feature second on the
list of frequent offenders (28%) when it comes to interfering from the back seat.

The most popular backseat gestures include the terrified grip-tightening on the door
handle; the not-so-subtle glance at the speedometer or, the favourite of partners and
parents across the country, the imaginary brake pedal push.

When it comes to the world of motoring, Confused.com revealed that unfortunately,
stereotypes are surviving, with women and the elderly being the most likely to suffer from
backseat bad manners. Over two thirds of women (68%), and a shocking 70% of drivers over
the age of 55 find themselves on the receiving end of this bad etiquette. Especially
patronising are comments about the speed of the car (24%) or their proximity to other cars
(25%).

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com, said: “As motoring costs continue
to rise at a meteoric rate, it’s never been more important for drivers to keep their costs
as low as possible.

“Our research shows that having other people in the car can distract us from the road,
and lead to accidents which in turn increase the cost of our car insurance policies.”

Jo Bryant, spokesperson for etiquette experts Debretts, added: “If you’re a passenger
in someone else’s car, your behaviour must be polite at all times, just as it would be if
you were visiting their home. The Etiquette Guide for Back Seat drivers will ensure that
every journey is courteous and civilised.”

About Confused.com:

Confused.com was the UK’s first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com
is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002,
it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison
products over the last couple of years to include a wider selection of insurances such as
performance car insurance [http://www.confused.com/car-insurance/performance ], buy to let
home insurance [http://www.confused.com/home-insurance/buy-to-let ] and mortgage life
insurance [http://www.confused.com/life-insurance/mortgage ], as well as financial
services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance.

Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free,
objective and unbiased comparison service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has
developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk
factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great
deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more.
Confused.com’s service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK
suppliers and industry regulators.

Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock
Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

        PR Contact:

        Sarah Wenham
        Confused.com press office
        Friary House
        Greyfriars Road
        Cardiff
        CF10 3AE
        +44(0)2920-434275

http://www.confused.com

SOURCE Confused.com