The Dater's Guide to In-Car Etiquette

Is a lack of in-car etiquette putting your love life in the slow lane? Fear not, we’ve teamed up with celebrity matchmaker Paul Carrick Brunson to create an in-car etiquette guide to get single Brits Carpooling Up with confidence, and help the road to romance run smoothly. What better time than Valentines, to put this to the test?
Download the in-car etiquette guide here. As Britain’s Biggest Matchmaker, we discovered that single Brits’ poor in-car etiquette is putting potential love matches off sharing a car, with more than half of daters (51 per cent) confessing they are put off by the fear of awkward silences. The pandemic had a huge impact on the dating scene and British attitudes to dating. More than a fifth (22 per cent) of single Brits admitted that, since the pandemic, they’d prefer an adventurous date over classic dinner and drinks. Plan your dream driving date with our free top tips: • The Culture Lover • The Soulful Dater • The Traditional Traveller • The Urbanite • The Active Adventurer

One in ten (11 per cent) are now more inclined to go on a roadtrip than have a classic date, yet daters are avoiding being in a car together. Almost half (45 per cent) of single Brits admitted they’d only share a car with a partner after the third date, with two fifths (38 per cent) confessing they think it is more intimate to share a car with a date than share a cheeky peck on the lips.
To help steer singletons in the right direction, we’ve worked with Celeb’s Go Dating’s own love doctor, Paul Carrick Brunson, to create an in-car etiquette guide offering expert advice and highlighting the biggest dos and don’ts during drive time. Paul Carrick Brunson said: “Dating has changed beyond recognition over the last 18-months and it is important that our attitudes to dates change too. Our idea of what constitutes a good first date has moved on. Where once daters might have favoured a boozy outing to overcome nerves, now they are looking for an adventure – what better adventure than a roadtrip? “The in-car etiquette guide I have created with Auto Trader will give helpful pointers to overcome any in-car faux pas, putting the brakes on those bad in-car habits and giving single Brits the confidence to ‘carpool up’ and organise a memorable date.”

From changing the radio channel without asking, to putting shoes or feet on the dashboard, there are some absolute no-noes for those looking for automotive amour. The five biggest turn-offs were:
1) Smoking or vaping in the car (35 per cent) 2) A messy car full of old takeaways / food wrappers (34 per cent) 3) A smelly car (33 per cent) 4) Road rage (28 per cent) 5) “Questionable accessories” such as fluffy dice (21 per cent) We also uncovered daters’ priorities when it comes to a potential partner – with many admitting they are less forgiving of their date having a messy car, than them being a bad driver. Single Brits also confessed to their own in-car “bad habits”, with women proving themselves the messier sex and being more likely to have a dirty car, or a car full of old takeaway and food wrappers, than men. Download the in-car etiquette guide.

We’ve put together a string of Romantic Roadtrips, so you can get inspired and impress that special someone this Valentine's Day. Set the destination, line up the playlist and head off on your perfect date:
• The Culture Lover • The Soulful Dater • The Traditional Traveller • The Urbanite • The Active Adventurer Let us know how your date goes, and whether we help you find your match on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or Instagram!