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You, Your Passenger and How to Avoid Carguments

03 February 2020

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Your car can be your personal haven, a space where it’s just you and your thoughts. However, when a passenger joins you, all that can go flying out the window. Suddenly, your driving habits are being analysed and questioned, your navigational ability mocked and it’s all your fault that you’re running late. All this could lead to what is being called a ‘cargument’.

For some of us, driving with a passenger can be fun, alleviating the possible boredom of sitting in traffic but the AA found that 56% of drivers found themselves fighting with their passenger in the car. It was discovered that the top three most common arguments that arose were about directions and getting lost (33%), backseat driving (29%) and not being on time (19%).

A few small remarks are all it takes for a full on ‘cargument’ to kick off but how do you deal with this as the driver? For some, the silent treatment is the weapon of choice. Although ceasing all communication could shut the argument down, it does little to ease the tension levels and still may affect your ability to drive safely.

At Marshall Leasing we understand the safety of your fleet and fleet drivers should always be the priority which is why we have put together a few tips to help manage ‘carguments’ and try to prevent them in the first place.

Firstly, how best to avoid the argument? The AA recommends you pull over when it is safe to do so and settle the argument before carrying on your journey. By relieving the tension in the vehicle and calming down you should be able to carry on your journey in a safe manner.

If you take the right precautions, you may be able to avoid the unpleasant experience all together. With a bit of extra time planning your journey, you could avoid that dreaded feeling of being lost. Check for live traffic updates before leaving to see if you need to allow for more time. Finally try to combat backseat driving before it has begun by laying down some ground rules with your passenger.  

At Marshall Leasing we offer all our clients advice on risk management as we know providing a duty of care to employees is an extremely important part of managing a fleet. We are friendly people and go out of our way not to have arguments. To find out more about our risk management service visit our website here, or call us directly on 01480 414541.

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