One in five UK drivers talk to their car to cope with Christmas stress – research

Twenty two per cent of Britain’s drivers admit to talking to their car as a way of coping with Christmas stress, a new survey has revealed.

One of the UK’s largest warranty companies, Warrantywise, surveyed 2,000 UK car owners on how they cope on the road during the busy festive period.

The survey found that, in addition to drivers talking to their vehicles, a further 54 per cent regularly say words of gratitude and encouragement to their cars, consisting of phrases such as “please don’t break down now” and “thank you for getting me through that.”

This is more common when drivers are enduring long winter journeys, icy mornings and driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic jams in the run-up to Christmas.

Antony Diggins, managing director at Warrantywise, said: “You’ve spent weeks planning the perfect Christmas – buying presents, organising visits, getting everything just right. Then your car throws a spanner in the works with the dreaded engine warning light. It’s not just the repair bill that hurts – it’s watching weeks of planning fall apart because you can’t get anywhere. One fault and the Christmas you’ve invested so much in is suddenly at risk.”

The survey suggests that drivers are more likely to talk out loud to their vehicles during the festive period, particularly when driving alone, stuck in traffic and planning a long list of Christmas jobs while behind the wheel.