Clean cars the way forward?

According to a recent survey a clean car makes people feel happier and three out of four drivers have said that if their car is spotless, then they feel better about themselves.

The survey discovered that 74% of drivers said that having a shiny vehicle was a quick and successful way of making themselves feel happier, whilst only a small minority said that they would 'rather boil their head' than have their car washed.

Younger drivers were found to be the most likely that will improve their mood by getting their car washed, with 85% of them saying that a shiny car definitely gives them a boost. The survey also discovered that drivers in Scotland are the most intent about their cars cleaning, as 80% said that they prefer their car when it is spick and span.

Wealth isn't a measure of how clean a car is kept either as this survey found that drivers with higher incomes were actually the most likely to have a dirty car.

Dr Sandra Wheatley explained some of the psychology behind the results of the survey in a recent report, she explained that cars are personal spaces of people. The make and the model that people choose to drive is usually accepted to imply our vocations and personalities.

The value of cars has often been assumed to reflect people's status in society. She went on to ask that by having a clean vehicle, are people telling the world how reliable and conscientious they are, a clean car therefore reflecting a well ordered mind?

She finished by saying that younger drivers, or drivers without financial security may want to use all the tools they can to tell the world that they are worth getting to know and worthwhile. It follows that people who are comfortable financially, including people who are retired, don't feel that they have to wash and polish their cars to feel pride in themselves.