Flexed.co.uk surveyed 1,250 garage mechanics, valets and car washers alike and found that the least “car proud” drivers on Britain’s roads are:

1. Single men and women under 30

2. “White van” drivers

3. Travelling salesmen

4. Mums with young family

5. Commuters

The firm added that young, single people were far and away the messiest drivers, with garage workers saying that cars with back seats brimming with fast food wrappers, dirty clothes and muddy shoes are virtually a daily sight.

The type of mess also varied from group to group. Singletons tend to leave sweet and snack wrappers in their cars, while White Van Man will find his vehicle with the leftover debris from a lunch on the move.

‘It’s clear that some people love their cars,’ said Flexed spokesperson Mark Hall, ‘but for others it’s just a rubbish tip with a wheel on each corner. One mechanic told us he once threatened to fail a car on its MOT because there was so much rubbish he couldn’t get to the spare wheel. The owner was a young chap in a sharp suit, but his car was a mess.’

‘At the risk of analysing an entire social group, it appears that some people’s chaotic, carefree lives lead to a lack of care for their cars,’ Hall claimed, ‘Their foot wells might as well just be litter bins. You can almost understand white van man and salesmen having messy vehicles, as they virtually live on the road, but for younger people, the argument that they’re ‘time poor’ just doesn’t wash,’ lectures Hall. ‘It’s just laziness.’

On the other hand, the following groups are more likely to turn up for a car servicing or a car wash with their vehicle already sparkling,

‘It’s a respect for their surroundings, because their livelihood depends on it,’ said Hall. ‘You always remember a messy cab, and you never use them again.’