Interesting local driving habits

The poll, commissioned by fuel company BP Ultimate showed that most men and women would prefer driving with their partner or spouse than with a celebrity of their choice.

In comparison to a similar study carried out in the UK, some 37% of men said their partner was their preferred driving companion - although only about a quarter of women felt the same way!

It also revealed that 30% of SA motorists see drive time as down time and would rather be in the car by themselves than having any form of company, no matter whether it is a lover, friend, celebrity or even family pet.

A drive along the sea was the most popular setting for the ‘perfect drive', getting over 50% of the votes, closely followed by a lazy drive through the countryside, while the other 20% preferred a route along a scenic mountain pass.

Other interesting findings showed most motorists thought people who drive black cars tend to be sexier than those who drive other colours – particularly drivers polled in Gauteng.

The colour black was closely contested by red, usually linked to sex-appeal. However, motorists rated this season's favourite fashion colour, green, as the least appealing when it comes to cars.

Also interesting to note, in previous studies motorists tended to rate petrol performance of more importance than impact on the environment. But in the recent poll it was just the opposite. The environment was rated the most important, followed by value for money and only third up was performance.

SA drivers also tend to choose a brand of fuel based on quality, efficiency and how well it cleans their car engines.

BP Ultimate is available in both diesel and unleaded at selected BP service stations throughout the country.