Britain Turning Into A Nation Of Romeos And Juliets On The Road

Courtship Rituals

According to psychologist Dr David Lewis, author of the The Secret Language of Success who analysed the survey findings on behalf of GM Daewoo, love in the fast lane has developed a unique set of courtship rituals which follow a clearly defined path: "My research using hidden cameras to record these roadside Romeos and Juliets in action has shown that, when one driver fancies another, his or her first move is to attract attention to themselves. They usually do this by making a specific move: a woman will run her hand through her hair or ostentatiously check her make-up in the mirror. Men typically sit up straighter and puff out their chests to appear leaner and fitter than they may actually be. Some of the less sophisticated younger males will even deliberately honk their horns to draw attention to their vehicles and themselves."

Dr Lewis continues: "However, when the attraction is mutual the next stage is an exchange of what are termed simply smiles in which the teeth remain covered. At the same time there may be an exchange of mutual eye-brow flashes. In this the brows rise and fall for around one fifth of a second."

The ‘Eyes’ Have It

"The purpose is to draw attention to the eyes. If all proceeds according to plan the next move is a broad upper smile in which the top row of teeth are uncovered while eye-contact is maintained. Throughout all this the other facial muscles remain relaxed as does the posture. Finally, if time allows, they may wind down their windows and attempt to exchange a few words. We have also observed some men quickly scribbling their mobile phone numbers on the palm of their hand and displaying it to the female.

"If the pair have clicked then it is possible both will pull up further down the road where they can safely park and exchange even more personal details."

Dr Lewis concludes: "It is impossible to say how often this happens, but even if the drivers are just in cars that pass on the road, they report enjoying and feeling happy as a result of even a brief encounter."

"Despite growing congestion on our roads it’s great to see from the survey that UK drivers are still able to have some harmless fun behind the wheel of their cars," comments Rob Smettem, director of marketing and public affairs at GM Daewoo. "The Matiz is a cheeky little car that loves the city and we hope that the introduction of our limited edition Matiz Flirt will help these innocent but enjoyable roadside assignations become even more popular in the future – when it’s safe to do so of course."

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