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Most people won't give lifts to a first date because they're too ashamed of their messy car

<em>Motorists say they’d be ashamed of giving their first date a lift because of their messy cars (Picture: Rex)</em>
Motorists say they’d be ashamed of giving their first date a lift because of their messy cars (Picture: Rex)

Once upon a time, if you were going on a first date you might have offered to give your love interest a lift.

But nowadays, people are steering clear of picking up a first date because their cars are too messy.

Research found that nearly seven in 10 motorists (69%) would be ashamed to give a lift to a first date because of their messy cars, while 19% refuse to car share with colleagues for the same reason and 21% get embarrassed in front of friends.

A survey of 2,000 Britons carried out by car cleaning firm Simoniz pointed at people’s busy lives as the cause of their chaotic cars.

According to the poll 82% of respondents said they regularly eat and drink on the road while 77% had slept in their cars. More than four-fifths (81%) of those questioned said they used their cars as a work space, 31% admitted to getting changed in their cars, and another 28% said they use them for personal grooming.

<em>Lifestyle – the survey pointed to people’s busy lifestyles as a reason for their messy cars (Picture: Getty)</em>
Lifestyle – the survey pointed to people’s busy lifestyles as a reason for their messy cars (Picture: Getty)

Nearly half of those surveyed said they use their cars as a storage facility, while 44% admitted to keeping things stashed in their cars for more than six months.

More than half (58%) admitted their cars often get filled with rubbish and clutter, with the most common items being drink containers, food wrappers, newspapers, magazines and children’s toys.

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Simoniz brand manager Louise Seddon said: “These results really show how integral the car is to many people’s lives. Hectic lifestyles mean more and more Britons use their cars for much more than just travel. The car is now a place to eat lunch, catch up on urgent work or even grab a sneaky nap.”

“But it seems many motorists simply don’t have time to declutter and clean. Drivers should really put aside a little more time each week to give their car some much needed TLC.”