Summer vacation season is here, bringing with it millions of road trip-compatibility problems between couples, kids and families. One in four Americans consider themselves “car-incompatible” with their spouse or partner. And 10% of men say such incompatibility in a vehicle is a deal-breaker for a romantic relationship, according to a new survey commissioned by Mazda.
The survey shared insights from 2,000 married or co-habitating couples who’ve been in a relationship for at least five years. This time frame seems a fair barometer for being honest about your partner’s most irritating or frustrating habits while driving on a road trip to, well, anywhere. It may be easy to conceal such annoyances during the first few months of a relationship.
But after five years? Some couples can be as combustible as a turbo-charged V8 engine, even when running a brief errand in town. Both of them think to themselves, “Are we there yet?” sounding like bored kids on a cross-country adventure. Common complaints between couples include refusing to ask directions, criticism about driving habits, aggravating entertainment choices, aggressiveness behind the steering wheel, and second-guessing every decision.
Before GPS revolutionized driving vacations, couples bickered about the best route to get from point A to point Z. Old-fashioned Rand McNally maps can’t compete with the updated precision of global positioning system capabilities. My parents would highlight two different routes on a .
