01 Aug, 2011
- Charlie and Ruby revealed as the UK’s most popular car names
- One third (33%) of motorists admit that they talk to their car
- Confused.com launches an online car name generator to enable people to generate a name and birth certificate for their car
Research released today reveals over a quarter of UK motorists have a pet name for their beloved cars. The survey by car insurance experts Confused.com has identified the most popular car names as Charlie and Ruby.
With nearly half of drivers describing their cars as ‘part of the family’, the Confused.com research reveals that 33% of car owners initiate a daily car-versation with their motors, talking to them not only about day-to-day matters and their frustrations on the road, but also about relationships and personal problems.
The average UK motorist considers their car to be female, with a personality that is sensible (25%), cute (8%) or playful (7%). Findings also confirm that 16% of men see their cars as women, choosing words such as sexy (6%) and mischievous (5%) to describe the personality of their vehicles.
Peter Collett, Psychologist and author of ‘Driving Passion – The Psychology of The Car’ suggests that naming your car can reduce the risk of incidents on the road.
“A majority of car owners feel the need to give their car a distinctive name, usually an affectionate title that expresses how they feel about their car and how they regard it as being different from everyone else’s. The drive to individualise one's car in this way is very widespread and it also lays the foundation for how people treat their cars. By giving their car a special name, drivers are treating their car as something that deserves to be cared for - a friend, a pet, a companion, sometimes even a lover.”
So, to encourage the nation to care for its cars, Confused.com has developed an online car name generator, which automatically generates a name for your car. Simply answer a few questions about your motor such as colour, personality, number of years of ownership to generate a name. You will also be able to print out a certificate, which can be kept with your vehicle documents or passed on to the next owner.
Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com says,
“Nearly one fifth of motorists who name their cars believe it encourages them to be more careful on the roads. We have nicknames for our friends, partners and even pets so why not our cars! Drivers with an emotional attachment to their vehicles are more likely to take better care of it on and off the road. We’re calling for all motorists to use the car name generator, and start caring for your car!”
Additional findings from the survey also uncovered a variety of unusual pet names for cars including Albie the great, Baldrick, Claris, Elektra, Lemmy, Michaelangelo, Snoop, Talulah, Florence (the machine) Horatio, Fadgehammer and Yannis.
For further research and to use the car name generator visit www.confused.com/car-name-generator
For more information please contact James Duffy or Rob Haycocks at the Confused.com press office at Cake on 0207 307 3100 / confused@cakegroup.co.uk
-Ends-
Research conducted by One Poll for Confused.com with a survey base of 2000 respondents (UK) who are car owners
1 – Research from: BBC, Daily Mail, Pop Justice, 3am, and Auto Trader. Sources available on request.
About Confused.com
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include home insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, van insurance, motorbike insurance, breakdown cover and energy, as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance.
Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more.Confused.com's service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators.
Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.
