People Who Borrow Cars Likely to Snoop; Here’s What They Find

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CarInsurance.com

If you’re lending out your car, seriously consider taking out private items. This is particularly true if it’s a man who will be driving off in your car.

Foster City, CA (PRWEB) September 30, 2013

More than half of drivers who borrow cars do some snooping, and they run across guns, liquor and the occasional uncomfortable snapshot with surprising frequency, according to a survey commissioned by CarInsurance.com.

In a survey of 1,500 licensed drivers, of those who had borrowed a car in the last two years, 63 percent had opened the loaned car’s glove box, console or trunk. Half of those snoopers found something more interesting than breath mints and old roadmaps:

•     A cell phone, 27 percent
•     Surprising photographs, 26 percent
•     Liquor, 23 percent
•     Expired registration, 23 percent
•     Expired insurance, 19 percent
•     Medicine, 18 percent
•     Illegal substances, 17 percent
•     Gun, 15 percent

“If you’re lending out your car, seriously consider taking out private items,” said CarInsurance.com consumer analyst Penny Gusner. "This is particularly true if it’s a man who will be driving off in your car.”

Men opened the trunk, glove box or console 76 percent of the time. Just 44 percent of women said they did, the survey found.

Seventy-two percent of the snoopers said they mentioned their discoveries to the owner of the car. "Imagine that conversation," said Gusner. "Here are your keys back, and here's a photo I found."

Why are people snooping?

•     41 percent were storing something of their own
•     22 percent said they were rifling around for music
•     20 percent said they were just curious
•     17 percent were searching for the vehicle’s insurance card

While borrowers were more likely to ask relatives for their car keys, they were much more likely to snoop through the cars of their co-workers and love interests:

•     Relatives: 52 percent of vehicle loans; snooped through 56 percent of the time
•     Friends, 26 percent of vehicle loans, snooped through 67 percent of the time
•     Dating, 9 percent of vehicle loans, snooped through 77 percent of the time
•     Co-workers, 8 percent of vehicle loans, snooped through 79 percent of the time
•     Neighbors, 5 percent of vehicle loans, snooped through 72 percent of the time

Of those who have loaned their car to others, only half said they removed items beforehand for privacy reasons.

See the full article at http://www.carinsurance.com/Articles/borrowed-cars-snoopers.aspx.

Methodology
CarInsurance.com commissioned a survey of 1,500 licensed drivers. The survey was fielded in July 2013.

About CarInsurance.com
CarInsurance.com has been offering drivers expert advice about car insurance and how to shop for it since 2003. Using a combination of industry expertise and information drawn from thousands of online quotes delivered without obligation each month, CarInsurance.com is a source for unbiased answers and data about what consumers should expect from an insurance policy. The site lets consumers compare multiple car insurance quotes online and purchase a policy online in minutes. CarInsurance.com is owned and operated by QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ: QNST), one of the largest Internet marketing and media companies in the world. QuinStreet is committed to providing consumers and businesses with the information they need to research, find and select the products, services and brands that best meet their needs. The company is a leader in visitor-friendly marketing practices. For more information, please visit QuinStreet.com.

Twitter: @CarInsurance

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Press contact:
Penny Gusner
805-492-2589
penny(at)carinsurance(dot)com

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