Nuisance Passengers - a Danger to Motorists

Naughty children, backseat drivers and other "nuisance passengers" are driving motorists to distraction and present a genuine threat to road safety, it has been claimed. Figures from Norwich Union revealed that almost one in 10 drivers (8%) who had been involved in an accident said a passenger was to blame, while one in 3 said they had lost their concentration because of someone distracting them in their vehicle. The study of Britain's most perilous passengers also highlighted nagging in-laws, barking dogs, moaning partners and people who "fiddled" with controls, as potential hazards.  One in 10 drivers admitted to shouting at nuisance passengers, with the south west region pinpointed as the most hot-tempered motorists. Drivers in the north west of England were most likely to take their eyes off the road because of a passenger. The top ten "perilous passengers" according to the Norwich Union study were: 1.    Screaming children and crying babies 2.    Children fighting 3.    Backseat drivers 4.    Barking and/or excited dogs 5.    Passengers who constantly change the music, or fiddle with the temperature controls 6.    Car sick passengers 7.    A nagging mother-in-law 8.    A moaning partner 9.    Passengers trying to give you directions 10.  Passengers who can't keep still. Back