Is it just me, or is driving with a full car one of the most stressful experiences known to man?
Between three different conversations, listening to numerous ‘essential’ playlists, and the classic ‘you just missed our exit’ phrase after no warning whatsoever, it’s no wonder driving alone is considered by many as a form of meditation.
But what exactly are locals arguing about when it comes to driving? A new survey conducted by insurance comparison website iSelect – which polled more than 1000 Australians – revealed the most common road arguments ruining road trips, since, well, forever.
Unsurprisingly, direction and navigation woes have been cited as the number-one source of arguments when driving, with 35 per cent of respondents admitting they’ve gotten into tiffs with other passengers when it comes to getting to their destination.
Although navigation troubles plague drivers nationally, the iSelect data revealed the problem is most prominent among motorists in the Australian Capital Territory (50 per cent), Victoria (43 per cent), and Queensland (37 per cent).
Concerningly, nearly half (48 per cent) of all participants who reported having arguments with other passengers admitted to driving while distracted during these conversations.
As various road authorities across states and territories continue to trial and implement reduced speed limits on local roads, speed limits remain a hotly debated topic among the general population, with 24 per cent of respondents highlighting it as a key source of frustration.
While speed limit troubles are most prevalent in the ACT (33 per cent), drivers in Tasmania (25 per cent), Victoria (20 per cent), and WA (20 per cent) also reported speed limits as a key source of frustration when travelling with other people in the car.
When you’re a motoring journalist, you’re prone to feel confident in your driving ability, and even more so when you’re not the one behind the wheel.
And according to Aussies, back-seat drivers (I’m sorry, family) are among the most frustrating passengers, with motorists in the Northern Territory (25 per cent), Tasmania (20 per cent), and Queensland (17 per cent) being the most affected by unsolicited driving advice.
If this isn't enough to irritate you, approximately 24 per cent of motorists admitted to arguing with passengers over their driving behaviours, while 18 per cent admitted to fighting over the music and volume.
But why is driving with other people so stress-inducing? Melbourne-based clinic MVS Psychology Group clinical psychologist and director Max von Sabler said it’s because drivers aren't just tasked with getting to their destination safely.
“Driving combines sustained attention, spatial processing and emotional regulation. These are all performed under pressure,” Dr von Sabler told Drive.
When that process gets disrupted by “social evaluation”, such as driving with someone, this adds further fuel to the fire, he said.
“Studies on ‘dual task’ interference show that divided attention reduces accuracy and tolerance for feedback,” he explained.
“A passenger’s comment can therefore register as criticism, not always as collaboration. From a psychological perspective, the car is one of the few spaces where both control and safety feel personally at stake.”
Additionally, the director of MVS Psychology explained that the confined spaces of a vehicle are also an unlikely source that could add to these small arguments.
“In a car, there’s no capacity for spatial or emotional withdrawal, and proximity amplifies every cue of tension. The nervous system interprets confinement as a potential threat, particularly when paired with noise, motion and vigilance,” he told Drive.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
