Vain male motorists have caused an estimated 2.2 million accidents in the last year as a result of admiring their own appearance or using grooming products while driving, according to a new study commissioned by MORE TH>N Car Insurance.
Whether it’s styling their hair (23%), inspecting their complexion (19%), pouting and posing (15%), or checking their teeth (10%), the rear view mirror is perfectly positioned to let well groomed guys admire themselves while driving.
The study of 3,000 UK male motorists suggests that 2.9 million men will linger on their reflections between five and 10 times in the space of a single 30-minute car journey. Taking roughly 4.8 seconds each time they check themselves out, millions of male motorists could be spending up to 48 seconds with their eyes fixed on themselves instead of the road, claims MORE TH>N.
Matt Pernet, at MORE TH>N, said: “We’ve heard a number of cautionary tales of women trying to apply make-up when driving, but until now men fawning over their own appearance behind the wheel was an unexplored area.
“This research shows that motorsexual men are significant in their numbers and are putting their safety and the safety of others at risk by valuing the importance of their own reflection over that of the road ahead.”
44% of those surveyed also claim that they keep their vehicle fully-stocked with grooming products including deodorant/anti-perspirant (25%), face wipes (15%), aftershave (13%), hairbrush (12%) and moisturiser (12%).
Matt Pernet added: “Given that the male grooming market is now valued at £35bn and growing, it’s clear to see just how important looking good is for the modern man. However, such a preoccupation with appearance should never extend into a moving vehicle.”
For more information contact Lucy Fogarty at COW PR on 020 7234 9150.
Bob…
If you started wearing an open face helmet, putting lipstick on, would be much easier.
However, I’d wait until it gets a bit warmer if I were you. Winter gloves are not designed to hold lipsticks!
Martin, Suffolk
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Is this dubious research going to give insurance companies another reason to put up our premiums?
John Stevenage
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I must completely agree with Mr R Owen that, as a former top police officer once said, “The world is awash with statistics, much of them bogus”, and particularly so in road safety. But, while the above research may be pushing “fabrication to a level of their own”, it is unlikely to be acted upon.
What is dangerous is when dubious research is promoted by those with the power to act, and then used to initiate or justify actual policies. I have done my best to perform the highest standards of research given the data available but even the above report may well get more publicity than the best quality road safety research.
Dave, Slough
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Can’t wait for the research that cites ‘Thinking’ on anything outside the driving task as a recipe for disaster on the roads.
Keith
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I think if we look behind the sensationalism we can see in the insurance information a continuation of the idea that driving is becoming an increasingly secondary task to those behind the wheel. People using the daily commute as time to eat breakfast and continue their beauty regime (if they need to). All those ‘damage only’ collisions that don’t go into stats 19 are effectively the iceberg under the water line which we ignore at our peril.
Dave, Leeds
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I cannot agree – I find it very difficult putting on my lipstick whilst riding my motorcycle, I find it totally frustrating.
We should have a central mirror on the windscreen and then it would be easier and perhaps safer than hanging out looking into the other mirrors.
bob craven lancs
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Does anybody really believe that 11% of male drivers actually crashed in the last year because they were admiring or grooming themselves? Furthermore the headline figure of over 2 million crashes per year is manufactured by taking the number of male licence holders and simply applying their dubious percentage!
Time and again we see companies commissioning ‘research’ to generate a sensational road safety headline that is at best poorly thought through and at worst damaging and misleading. I have heard about ‘Lies Damned Lies and Statistics’ but motor insurance surveys push fabrication to a level of their own.
Richard Owen, Banbury
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