South African Driver Habits - Survey

Over two thirds of South African drivers who participated in the BP Ultimate survey admitted to expressing love and affection for their cars, with 59% saying they felt a true connection with their cars. This translates to 4.8 million vehicle-smitten South African drivers.

Happy birthday... My car?

More than half (57%) of drivers said they complemented their rides or rubbed the dashboard and/or steering wheel to get their car to perform ( to start up or speed up, for example).

Naming a vehicle is a trend amongst drivers with 47% admitting to giving their car a pet name. More bizarre is the 21% of South Africans who celebrate their cars' birthdays.

Glenda Zvenyika, BP’s corporate and external communications manager, said: “We converse with them, name them, adorn them with trinkets and even involve them in some of life’s most significant and personal moments.”

Car habits revealed in the BP survey:

• 85% of South African drivers love to sing in their car
• 74% have made important life decisions in their car
• 61% have regular conversations with their car
• 53% had a car play an important role in a special occasion
• 30% decorate the interior or exterior of their cars with trinkets such as fuzzy dice, stickers, steering wheel or seat covers
• 11% got engaged in a car or know someone else who did