Miles of Memories

Whether by horse and chariot, horse and buggy or a two-door coupe with a witty bumper sticker, your vehicle is there to get you from one point to the next.

And, along the way, your car probably brought you something else too. 

More than getting you from here to there

Over half of surveyed Brits view their car as more than just a way to get from here to there, with 57% believing it's "an important part of my social life and lifestyle.” ^{Footnote [1]}  

Nearly half of those surveyed say their car allowed them to visit friends and family more often with more than a third saying it allowed them to take family trips, or go on outings, to strengthen their bond.  ^{Footnote [1]}

Over a third of those aged 25 to 34 enjoyed taking their friends or family for drives and a third believe their car gave them, “a sense of connection when driving with loved ones.” ^{Footnote [1]} For those aged 55+, it seems their car is key to keeping these social connections active. More than half note that their car made it possible to visit friends and family more often.^{Footnote [1]}

During these journeys, with family and friends, people built these connections by:^{Footnote [1]}

• talking about their day (33%)

• catching up on each other's lives (31%)

• planning for the event or activity they're heading to (24%)

• as a passenger, catching up on messages and life admin (18%)

• playing car games with each other (I spy, number plate games) (16%)

And beyond getting people from here to there and giving them chances to connect, for those surveyed, cars were also used for:

• enjoyable drives (41%)
• thinking, reflecting, and getting away from the noise of life (25%)
• a moment to escape from a difficult moment in life (21%).

Fond feelings, family and first cars 

Whether excitedly throwing all your luggage into the boot for your first ever road trip or remembering the smell of your childhood family car, memories can bring powerful emotions along as their passengers. 

A quarter of those surveyed, for example, have fond memories of long road trips in cars they previously owned. ^{Footnote [1]} And 23% still think about their first car. Almost one fifth admit that cars remind them of important life moments and as many (19%) say their car feels like part of the family.  ^{Footnote [1]}

It’s not simply a car. For some of those surveyed, it’s a way to transport them to past experiences and emotions. 14% say they “feel emotionally attached” to one or more of their current or previous cars and nearly as many (12%) have a “strong emotional attachment” to their current car.  ^{Footnote [1]}

Much like a loved pet, one that may also purr and growl on the road, it may be of little surprise that some people name their cars. 

It’s all in a name

While some people surveyed named their cars based on its make, model or colour (17%) others name it based on its registration. Yet, for some, naming their car is all about how it makes them feel. Some reasons include:

• thinking the name is funny (21%)
• the car means a lot (14%)
• seeing it as an extension of family (13%).

The top five nicknames given to cars include:

• Babe
• Betty
• Daisy
• Ruby 
• Pearl

If you’re known for naming your cars, check out whether any of yours match the top ten of our surveyed men and women:  ^{Footnote [1]}

For those surveyed, their cars may hold a special place as they zoom into focus in their minds. 

And it’s no wonder. As the movie reel of your most profound life moments plays through your memories, you may notice a car parked in the background or featuring centre stage. 

The five major life events that people experience in a car, some of which may be surprising, are:  ^{Footnote [1]}

1. getting really lost (28%)
2. attending a wedding, graduation or other family event (28%)
3. moving to a new home (27%)
4. bringing a baby home from the hospital (27%)
5. having an emotional conversation with someone (27%). 

Life without a little romance may hardly be a journey worth travelling, as it seems one in seven of those surveyed had a first kiss in a car. Higher than any other age group, those aged 25 to 34 (18%) had a first kiss in a car. One in ten said or heard ‘I love you’ for the first time in a car, but nearly as many (9%) experienced a break-up in a car.  ^{Footnote [1]}

And it seems, based on our survey, that women may have different emotional experiences than men in their cars. While almost a third of women link bringing their baby home in a car, less than a quarter of men note it as an emotional experience. ^{Footnote [1]} And although 32% of women remember having an emotional conversation with someone in their car, it’s ten percent less for men. While 18% of men remember having a deep, heart-to-heart talk with someone they love in a car, it’s almost ten percent more for women. ^{Footnote [1]}  

These emotional experiences may also have generational differences. While 30% of those aged 25 to 34 had deep, heart-to-heart chats with loved ones in their car, that's nearly halved for those aged 55+. And while over a quarter of those aged 16 to 24 had a difficult conversation with someone in their car, that's experienced ten percent less by those aged 55+.

Cars roll into more milestones through the ages 

From naming their cars to seeing them as part of the family, some of our surveyed Brits may see their cars as a beloved thread in the fabric of their life. After all, nearly two out of five 39% say their car is an “extension of my personality.” ^{Footnote [1]} And it seems that the car is becoming involved in more of life’s milestones as time ticks along. 

While a quarter of those aged 16 to 24 and nearly 18% of 25 to 34 year-olds experienced their first day of school in a car, this is in stark contrast to 4% of those aged 55+. ^{Footnote [1]} Although one in five of our surveyed 25 to 34 year-olds received important, life changing news while in the car (like a job offer or acceptance letter), it’s an experience shared by only 5% of those aged 55+.  ^{Footnote [1]}

Some car memories hit stronger than others   

Bringing a baby home from the hospital is a experience felt and remembered most strongly (24%) by Brits in our survey. The next strongest memories in a car include:  ^{Footnote [1]}

• being with a loved one, who has since passed away (15%)
• moving to a new home (14%)
• having emotional conversations with someone (14%)
• having a deep, heart-to-heart with a loved one (12%).

It also seems the strongest memories sometimes vary based on age and gender, according to our survey. For men, teaching someone how to drive for the first time holds stronger memories (11%) than having their first kiss in a car (9%). ^{Footnote [1]} And for those aged 55+, getting really lost in a car holds stronger memories (14%) than having a deep heart-to-heart with a loved one (8%) or a first kiss (5%). ^{Footnote [1]} Yet, for those aged 16 to 24 and 25 to 34, the strongest memories are of an emotional conversation with someone in a car (17% and 19% respectively) while for those over the age of 35 it’s bringing a baby home from hospital.  ^{Footnote [1]}

Fuzzy dice and beaded seats, the nostalgia of it all

For some, those strong feelings and memories are linked to stuff in their car. Or the stuff they don’t wish to see again! 

Just under one in five have a cassette/CD player in their household's car, 17% have paper maps and 9% still have wind-down windows. Let’s not forget the beaded seat covers, of which 13% of 25 to 34 year-olds have in their car, or fluffy dice which are owned by 10% of our surveyed 16 to 34 year-olds.  ^{Footnote [1]}

And some of these items may be related to nostalgic experiences they miss most, such as:  ^{Footnote [1]}

• listening to music on cassette/CD players (28%)
• drives with friends or family members who have since passed away (18%)
• road trips being more common (18%)
• family sing-alongs or games during long journeys (18%)
• road trips relying on paper maps, rather than GPS (16%)

Although our surveyed women are seemingly more likely to miss family sing-alongs or games during long journeys (22% compared to 13% of men), men are more likely to miss road trips without GPS and relying on paper maps (19% versus 14% of women).  ^{Footnote [1]}

But there are certainly items that some surveyed Brits wouldn’t mind leaving in the rear-view mirror. It seems fluffy dice and fuzzy steering wheel covers top this list: ^{Footnote [1]}  

• fluffy dice (38%)
• fuzzy steering wheel covers (35%)
• beaded seat covers (34%)
• offensive car stickers (30%)
• toy stuck to rearview window (25%)

Sometimes, the journey you’re expecting to go on isn’t quite the journey your car takes you on. Whether hitting a pothole, running out of fuel or finding unexpected bumps in the road, these detours may wind their way into your memory too. 

Of our surveyed Brits, nearly three quarters experienced a car breakdown either as a driver or as a passenger. ^{Footnote [1]} More than one in five admitted to feeling anxious about being stuck with nearly as many believing it caused significant stress and frustration. 

More than half were involved in some kind of accident, as a driver, during a trip. 14% of women and 16% of men who were involved in an accident, while driving, admit they are now nervous drivers. ^{Footnote [1]}  While a quarter of drivers say they were able to continue their trip, because there was little to no damage, one in six had to end their journey there.  ^{Footnote [1]}

For some drivers, experiences on the road may not only impact their priorities as they get behind the wheel, but also how they drive. 

Moving forward, onwards travel 

The top five priorities for those surveyed when driving, according to our survey, include:  ^{Footnote [1]}

1. making sure there’s enough fuel/charge to get to their destination 
2. knowing their route 
3. knowing where to park when arriving at their destination 
4. driving when it’s daylight 
5. taking the quickest route possible. 

And it's worth noting that more than two thirds of those surveyed have breakdown cover.  ^{Footnote [1]}

For those in our survey who experienced a car accident as a driver on a trip, they admit it impacted their driving in a few ways. More than a quarter say they are now more cautious when driving and just under a quarter are more aware of other drivers and their actions. ^{Footnote [1]} One in five of those surveyed believe they are more aware of their surroundings when driving.  ^{Footnote [1]}

Before you set off on your next trip, here are Kevin’s top three tips that may help you drive with more confidence: 

1. Check your insurance policy – being aware of what your policy covers, particularly any recent policy changes, may help you avoid unpleasant surprises with your car insurance in case of an accident or damage.
   
   Also, make sure you understand the different levels of cover with your insurer. You may explore our Comprehensive cover, for example, because it offers onward travel. This means that if you’ve had an accident, we’ll get you to where you’re going.  With our Aviva Direct Motor policy , if your car isn't safe to drive after an accident, onward travel will not only make sure your car gets to an approved repairer, but it’ll get you and your passengers home (or to your destination). Alternatively, we’ll pay up to £500 towards the cost of an overnight stay or public transport. ^{Footnote [2]}  
   
2. Check your safety items – from tyre pressure to what’s in the glove box, and especially the first-aid kit for minor scrapes and bumps, it’s important to have a thorough run through of what safety items you have in your car. 
   For those surveyed, the top safety items in their glove box include: ^{Footnote [1]}
       • the owner’s manual and warranty information (42%)
       • phone chargers and tech gadgets (35%)
       • first aid kit (29%)
       • car maintenance accessories, like tyre pressure gauge (27%)
       • car registration and insurance documents (25%).
   
   During your safety review, you may think about whether any issues came up in a recent MOT or whether you’ve seen any error codes or lights flashing on the dash. And if you’re hearing your alarm going off randomly, check out our article why does my alarm keep going off?
3. Check your digits – it may seem a simple thing to do, but having emergency numbers at your fingertips may mean you feel a little less overwhelmed in the event of an accident or breakdown. You may have emergency service numbers at the ready, and your close family or friends, but it could also help to have:
   
       •  your car’s registration number and the make, model and year
       •  your insurer’s phone number in case of an incident – often, insurers have a 24 hour line you can contact in case of a breakdown or accident.
   
           It may also help to have information saved on your phone, so you know exactly what to do if you’ve been in an accident. It’s worth bookmarking what to do after a car accident and what to do before making a claim.
   
       •  your insurance policy number – you may have an app, like MyAviva, that makes this information quicker to find.  

For nearly a quarter of those surveyed, the longest they’ve owned a car is between six to ten years. ^{Footnote [1]} And whether it’s with Babe, Betty or Daisy, that’s a fair few years for fuzzy dice, first kisses and family road trips to pave the way for life’s memorable moments. 

So, take a moment to coast down memory lane and enjoy the mile markers passed in your car.