Kids' fights and back-seat know-alls top driver dreads
Overview
Most drivers have been there - when the back-seat bickering gets so bad it would drive you mad. Even worse is the back-seat driver who delights in commenting or giving directions.
It will hardly surprise you to learn that, officially, they are now the top two irritants for drivers and lead to stressful and (from a driving perspective) potentially dangerous arguments.
A YouGov survey (it's British but don't tell me the result would be any different if conducted here) found "unwelcome opinions shared by back-seat drivers" and "children fighting, crying and shouting" spark the most disputes in the car.
Nearly half the drivers felt it important to resolve matters quickly to reduce stress.
Some didn't and that's when things can get out of hand.
The survey, for The Motor Ombudsman, found nearly two in five (38pc) of drivers believed unwanted comments from back-seat passengers were the main cause of arguments.
Children shouting, crying and fighting came second (17pc). I think I'd put it the other way around.
The survey was part of their 'Stay Cool This Summer' campaign.
Other major irritations included passengers adjusting buttons/dials, changing radio station/music choice, leaving rubbish behind (all 14pc).
More than half (53pc) of those who had an argument with passengers nipped the problem in the bud.
A quarter (24pc) waited to see if things improved (no chance) before intervening.
