A larder

A larder, a make-up bag and a wardrobe - there's more to modern car contents than gloves!

(20 April 2005)

For many people, cars are more than just a means of getting from A to B. A survey from motor insurer, esure.com, has found that UK drivers divide into two distinct groups: the clear and the cluttered, with the latter using their cars to store millions of non-driving related items*.

Although nearly a fifth of motorists claim to maintain 'junk free' cars, the remaining vehicles are used as mobile larders, make-up bags and wardrobes. esure's study found that the average 'cluttered car' in the UK is likely to contain six CDs and five cassettes, £5.29 in loose change, several items of make-up, an air freshener, two old parking tickets and food that ....cont/

is on average five days old.

Bizarrely, male drivers are also three times more likely to have spare underwear hidden away in their car than women. In fact, the total number of pants in UK cars stands at around 1.9million and the number of old parking tickets at 22.8million**.

The survey also revealed some of the more unusual items that people admit to keeping in their cars. A couple of drivers confessed to keeping dog food, gardening equipment and a metal detector in their car. One motorist even admitted to storing a croquet mallet in his car.

Reassuringly, the most frequently found items in UK cars remain those that are driving related - such as sunglasses or spectacles (62%), tissues (68%), maps (67%), first-aid boxes (43%) and tools (40%). But it is ....cont/

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the number of personal and entertainment items spilling out of homes and into cars that highlights the trend towards more cluttered driving.

Mike Pickard, Head of Risk and Underwriting at esure, said: "This survey shows that people are carrying more of their lives with them in their cars - down to their clothes, make-up and diaries. There are two important points for motorists who drive cluttered cars: first, nothing should get in the way of driving. Second, the more items on display in your car, the more likely an opportunist thief may target your car to check what is inside the glovebox or boot.

"A clean car is usually safer - with less likelihood of stray items getting stuck under pedals - but we do appreciate that people like the comfort of taking...cont/

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some emergency personal items with them when travelling. It is just best to keep them stored securely and hidden."

Notes

Sources:

* ICM Research interviewed a random selection of 1009 adults aged 18+, by telephone between 1st-3rd April and 9th-10th April 2005

** Based on 26.2 million licensed vehicles, Department For Transport 2003.
About esure:

esure is a joint venture between Peter Wood and the HBOS group. The company was launched in 2000. It offers car, home and travel insurance over the internet and telephone and is the UK's fastest growing car insurer ever. The company employs 1,600 staff and has offices in Surrey, Manchester and Glasgow.