“Watch out... brake!”: Why couples often argue during long car journeys

The scene is repeated every summer on French roads: barely off the motorway, couples turn their cabin into a verbal boxing ring. "You should have taken the exit before" , "look at your GPS instead of shouting at me" ... These heated exchanges are the daily lot of a small third (28%) of couples according to a recent OpinionWay survey for Direct Assurance. The main reason for eruptions at the wheel is the unequal sharing of driving within the couple. The study reveals that 80% of men say they drive "generally for long journeys" , compared to only 45% of women.

This is the case for the couple of Marine, a 31-year-old from Asnières who, despite obtaining a driving license in 2022, lets her husband Dimitri drive while she goes on vacation. "I'm scared of driving," she says. It usually goes well, "but since he has an old 1991 Clio, the speedometer doesn't work." As soon as he exceeds the speed limit on Waze , Marine, as a good co-pilot...