'He gets too angry behind the wheel'... 'She's always in the wrong gear': What married couples said they hate most about each other's driving

One in five married drivers say their spouse is dangerous behind the wheel
A quarter of people said they've refused to get in the car with their partner at least once in the last year
Married couples have a domestic on average 28 minutes into a journey
Find out what 10 things couples hate most about their other half's driving

Published: 02:33 EDT, 16 October 2018 | Updated: 03:56 EDT, 16 October 2018

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A new survey has discovered what married Britons really think about their partner's driving - and it's easy to understand why so many domestics occur in cars.

One in five 'til-death do us part' couples think their other half is a dangerous driver and unfit for the road, according to the report.

What rattles women most about their partner's actions behind the wheel centres around being erratic, while men get most irate about their other half being too slow.

Driving domestics: A poll of 2,000 married drivers found that men are most irritated by their partner driving with the car in the wrong gear, not going fast enough and not overtaking slower motorists

The research was carried out by Budget Insurance, which surveyed 2,000 married male and female motoring couples - including those in same-sex relationships - to gauge a better understanding of what grinds their gears about their spouse.

And the results showed that couples were - as you might expect - very critical of their partner's performance at the wheel.

One in five said their wife or husband was a dangerous drivers, while over a quarter said they have at least once refused to get in their car with their partner in the last 12 months because they feared for their own safety.

For women, it was concerns about their spouse's anger, speed and generally erratic behaviour.

Female motorists insisted their other half drives too fast on country lanes, tailgates other motorists and suffers from uncontrollable bouts of road rage.

On the other hand, males said it was a lack of driving ability that frustrated them most about their better half.

Dawdling at junctions, having the car in the wrong gear, going too slow and failing to overtake slower motorists were the most common complaints from men about the life partner's driving.

The 10 things married couples hate most about their spouse's driving

WHAT WINDS MEN UP ABOUT THEIR PARTNER’S DRIVING

Driving in the wrong gear – 20%

Driving too slowly – 20%

Failing to overtake other cars – 20%

Taking too long at junctions – 18%

Braking too late – 16%

Braking too hard – 15%

Parking too far from the kerb – 12%

Road rage – 12%

Breaking the speed limit – 12%

Driving aggressively – 10%

WHAT WINDS WOMEN UP ABOUT THEIR PARTNER'S DRIVING

Road rage – 27%

Braking too late – 16%

Getting angry with the sat nav – 15%

Tailgating – 14%

Driving too fast on country lanes – 14%

Playing music too loudly – 12%

Breaking the speed limit – 12%

Driving too fast on motorways – 11%

Honking the horn too much – 8%

Dangerously overtaking cars – 6%

Source: Budget Insurance survey of 2,000 married drivers

Women said it was their partner's road rage, anger at the sat nav and heavy use of the brakes that concerned them most

Most also appear to be happy to voice their criticisms directly at their loved ones.

The study found that a married couple has an argument on average within 28 minutes of being in the car together, while 69 per cent said every journey ends in a row.

And when it comes to the journeys that are guaranteed to end in a bust up, travelling on unfamiliar roads, journeys of more than two hours and trips to the supermarket emerged as flash points. As did visits to see the mother-in-law.

Overall, 21 per cent of the married panel said they hate the way their other half drives, with 40 per cent admitting they shout at their partner when they're at the wheel.

Some do try to bite their tongue, though.

Almost seven in ten (68 per cent) say they keep quiet when their other half makes a driving blunder in a bid to save their blushes - and avoid a confrontation.

However, 13 per cent said they have felt the need to grab the wheel while their spouse is driving to avoid a crash or a bump.

The study calculated that the average argument kicks off between a married couple in a car after 28 minutes. More than three quarters of the panel said they had a domestic with their spouse during every journey

The study also found that men tend to have their ear's chewed off more than women, with 84 per cent of couples agreeing that their husband does the lion's share of the driving.

Though that might be because men think they're better qualified than their wives.

Almost three quarters (74 per cent) of husbands surveyed said they are better at driving than their partner. The compares to just 43 per cent of women who say they are safer behind the wheel.

Anna McEntee, director at the Budget Insurance, said: 'We all have a different approach to driving, but the main thing is that we remain safe on the road.

'Arguing about the way someone drives or shouting at them for taking a wrong turn is counterproductive, as it could be a distraction for the person behind the wheel.

'If you’re driving somewhere unfamiliar, check and plan your route beforehand to avoid getting lost, being late and triggering an argument with your other half.'

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