People may not realise their car choice can make more of an impression than they might at first think.
According to a study by Scrap Car Comparison, drivers who own a BMW are the most likely to give others the 'ick' - a popular way of saying you’ve been well and truly turned off - with eight per cent of people preferring that potential partners don't drive one. People are also turned off by Fiat, Skoda and Smart car drivers, which took joint second spot with seven per cent of respondents getting the ick.
Meanwhile, Mercedes beat out Porsche and Lamborghini to take the crown as the car brand that is the biggest turn-on, with 14 percent finding a partner with a Merc in their garage more attractive. Ironically, Mercedes Benz is a part-owner of Smart.
For car brands, the rankings were fairly close, and while BMW topped the table it only did so by a single percentage point. Additionally no car gave more than 10 percent of those surveyed the ick.
However, the more than 2,000 people surveyed were much more aligned when it came to the driving habits that turned them off. Unsurprisingly, reckless and dangerous habits were seen to be a major turn off and made motorists seem less attractive.
On the flipside, someone flashing their headlights to say thank you to another road user was revealed as the behaviour that people find most attractive while out on the roads with a current or potential partner.
Dan Gick, Managing Director at Scrap Car Comparison commented: "The idea of the ‘ick’ is something that’s definitely been widely discussed over the past year or so, and is something that I’m sure many of us can relate to.
"However, when we look at the top driving icks, it’s interesting to see that the majority of the top icks are behaviours that are more risky, and could put us in danger on the roads.
"Driving after drinking alcohol, dangerous driving and using a phone while behind the wheel are never worth it, and you could be prosecuted or fined if caught doing these behaviours.
"So, it’s encouraging to see that so many people find dangerous driving habits off-putting in a potential partner."
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