Survey: Playing Metal in Car With Your Mate Can Be a Deal Breaker

There’s nothing like blasting some metal with the windows down while you’re driving solo, but what does your significant other think about your love of metal as you roll down life’s highway? That’s one of the things that popped up in the results of a new survey by Circuit polling respondents about their driving habits and how it impacts relationships.

The company surveyed 1,555 people on their car and driving opinions and how it affects their life. The survey pool consisted of 49 percent women, 49 percent men and two percent that identified as nonbinary.

And while the Circuit for Teams Survey generated plenty of information – factoids such as road rage is responsible for 41 percent of breakups over bad driving, driving under the influence is the No. 1 driving turnoff (74 percent said so), and Mercedes-Benz is the most attractive car brand – what grabbed our attention was how heavy music played into all the relationship driving foibles.

It should be noted that 36 percent of respondents noted that loud cars are a turnoff. While that could mean it’s time for a new muffler or some engine work, it might also suggest that it’s time to be a little considerate of your partner with the radio or music player. It can be a little hard to discuss the movie you just saw when the Metal God’s vocals are piercing your eardrums with the knob turned up to 11.

As the headline above suggests, 19 percent of respondents (that’s nearly 1 in 5) suggested that metal was a relationship deal breaker when it comes to what’s played in the vehicle. But before you start to question your music over your partner, it should be noted that metal is not the worst offender according to the study. That title actually goes to gospel music, which 28 percent claimed would be a deal breaker in their relationship.

In fact, both country and hip-hop are also deemed more offensive car music choices than metal, with 24 percent saying no to country and 21 percent ready to hop out over hip-hop. But EDM actually appears to be a more favorable choice than metal with only 14 percent registering their reservations.

Also of note, the Circuit Teams Survey reveals that women were also 37 percent more likely than men to be turned off by excessively loud cars.

Is One’s Music the Biggest Romantic Deal Breaker When It Comes to Driving?

While we did just focus on the music one plays in their car as a potential deal breaker in romantic relationships, you can rest a little easy knowing that there are many other factors that have led to bigger squabbles amongst couples.

The Circuit Teams Survey notes that 41 percent of those surveyed claimed that they have fought with their romantic partner over their driving habits, with seven percent of those claiming that someone’s driving habits have actually caused the end of their relationship.

Breaking it down even further, 15 percent of those people have cited loud music as the reason for ending the relationship. But, as stated, there are plenty more factors at play here. In fact, loud music is only the eighth most suggested reason for ending a relationship over someone’s driving habits.

Topping the list was road rage clocking in at 41 percent, closely followed by speeding (40 percent) and driving under the influence (39 percent). Other reasons for ending a relationship over driving habits that exceeded the percentage of respondents that said loud music were distracted driving, texting or using social media while driving, tailgating and slow driving.

So, to avoid any issues with your mate later, maybe drop that volume nod a few db’s.

READ MORE: Study Says Heavy Metal Fans Are Most Likely to Have a Sexual Encounter in a Car

What Else Did We Learn?

The gender divide in the survey was significant, as women were 83 percent more likely than men to consider bad driving an absolute romantic deal breaker. While many of the complaints were more related to safety issues and aggressive behavior, noise was one of the factors with women claiming to be turned off by excessively loud vehicles by 37 percent more than men.

So what did we take away from all this? While metal may not be everyone’s cup of tea when it comes to traveling with your mate, there are genres of music more likely to start a fight over the radio dial. But even then, the volume should be kept at a level both you and your mate can find agreeable.

To see more results from this survey, check out the full Circuit Teams Survey here.