Almost one-third of college students surveyed reported having sex while riding in or driving a moving vehicle. Couples often consider this action a fun adventure, despite the obvious dangers on the road. A new study published in the Journal of Sex Research finds that this behavior involves high rates of distracted driving, and there are significant differences in orgasm rates between men and women.
For nearly a century, automobiles have provided couples with a private place to explore their sexuality away from family and roommates. Most of the academic literature on this topic focuses on the well-known parking behavior. The concept refers to having sex in a stationary car parked in a secluded area, such as an empty lot or a drive-in theater.
Few researchers have assessed the prevalence of sexual interactions when vehicles are actually traveling on the road. Some media reports and road safety records document extreme examples of this behavior. These official records typically only come to light when the sexual activity leads to a traffic stop, aggressive driving complaint, or car accident.
Researchers occasionally scan adult websites to analyze sexually explicit videos of people engaging in intimate acts while driving. However, these cases and official traffic records are only a small part of what actually happens in everyday life.
Cindy Struckman-Johnson, a psychology researcher at the University of South Dakota, wanted to better estimate how common this covert behavior is. Struckman Johnson, along with public health researcher Peter Anderson of Walden University and George Smeaton of Smeaton Research Consulting, set out to profile the people involved in this activity.
More than a decade ago, Struckman Johnson published the first study on the subject that focused strictly on the sexual experiences of those in the driver’s seat. For this latest effort, the research team collected data from both drivers and passengers. By expanding their focus, the researchers wanted to understand how sexual partners interact as a front-seat couple, what motivates them, and how their cell phone habits influence it.
The researchers recruited just under 1,000 undergraduate students from a Midwestern university and had them complete an anonymous online survey. Study participants included students enrolled in a variety of psychology classes covering topics such as human development, abnormal behavior, and human sexuality. Participants were primarily Caucasian and heterosexual, with an average age of approximately 21 years.
Students answered a series of targeted questions about their experiences with sex in cars. Because the study is based on self-reported survey data, researchers can document correlations rather than direct cause and effect. Participants who reported engaging in sexual activity as a driver or passenger answered specific questions about recent events.
The survey asked students to describe the type of road, the sexual act that took place, and the identity of their partner. Respondents also had the opportunity to freely type in their most memorable experiences, allowing researchers to capture subtle details about their encounters.
The researchers found that 29 percent of students surveyed had engaged in sexual activity in a moving vehicle. This action usually took place on rural highways and country roads with serious romantic partners. Penetrative sex was relatively rare, with vaginal penetrative sex reported by only 9% of the final analysis group. Few reported anal sex.
The most common sexual acts reported were oral sex and genital touching. More than two-thirds of study participants who had sex in a moving car said they had performed oral sex. Many of these respondents described this situation as a type of erotic foreplay that occurred while trying to reach their final destination faster.
The study revealed significant differences in physical pleasure between men and women. When asked to recall whether they had had an orgasm during a recent road trip, nearly two-thirds of men said yes. In contrast, only about a fifth of women said they had experienced an orgasm.
Researchers believe this gap may be related to societal expectations that define what heterosexual couples should be. These social norms, often referred to as sexual scripts, prescribe patterned behavior and, in some cases, prioritize men’s physical pleasure over women’s pleasure. In survey responses, women were more likely than men to say they participated in an activity specifically to satisfy their partner’s excitement or to provide their partner with an exciting adventure.
Conversely, the researchers noted that the structure of the situation itself may explain differences in orgasm rates. Providing oral sex to a male driver wedged behind the steering wheel is generally easier than attempting the same to a female driver. The study did not ask participants whether they performed or received oral sex, so it remains possible that the biological mechanisms of the act were a factor.
The research team also found that participants were taking high levels of risk regarding their sexual health. Among those who reported oral or penetrative sex, only about 10% said they used condoms. Because such sexual contact is impromptu and spontaneous, couples may not be able to use appropriate physical barriers. Some survey respondents said the lack of condoms causes a physical disturbance that distracts from the car’s upholstery.
A new layer of risk has come from modern technology. Almost 40% of participants reported using a cell phone during sex while in a moving car. Almost 30 percent of that group said they watched pornography on their cell phones during the act.
There were clear differences between men and women in other mobile phone habits while traveling. Women in the study were more likely to text or call a friend while sex was taking place. The researchers noted that these participants may have brought their friends on board as a way to “show off” to their peers, or to increase their own sexual arousal levels by being somewhat public.
Dangerous driving was very common in these events. Three-quarters of participants reported experiencing at least one type of negative driver safety impact. More than half of respondents admitted that drivers took their eyes off the road for more than two seconds.
Almost a quarter of participants said their car drifted into another lane. It was found that one in five vehicles exceeded the speed limit. Some participants even noted that the driver let go of the steering wheel completely, effectively eliminating the safety margin.
Despite the high frequency of distracted driving, only two participants reported minor vehicle accidents. Many participants said they reduced their risk by slowing down, turning on cruise control, or pulling over to the shoulder of the highway to finish their sex acts.
Less than half of respondents reported a negative personal outcome, but a minority said they had experienced the worst sex of their lives. A small proportion of respondents reported being forced to perform the act. Some women reported being emotionally manipulated or physically forced to perform oral sex on their abusive partners while driving.
However, for the majority of people, the results felt completely positive. More than 80% of respondents said they had a fun and exciting adventure. Roughly 10 percent of participants said it was the best sex they had ever had. Some participants associated this event with deeper romantic milestones and reported that they ended up feeling closer to their married partners.
The researchers cautioned that the results were based only on students attending a single university in the rural Midwest. These students move across long stretches of undeveloped plains, which may influence their sexual behavior differently than youth living in dense urban areas. Those who live in crowded, high-traffic cities may have far fewer opportunities to try this behavior.
Future efforts in this area will need to involve older people. Some polls show that adults in their 30s and 40s are more likely to have sexual experiences while traveling in a car. Researchers should also look at more balanced numbers of men and women. The current study attracted significantly more female participants than male participants, which may distort some of the broader behavioral trends.
Elucidating the simple mechanics of these sexual acts can also help explain the orgasm gap. Future studies that document which partner is actively receiving physical stimulation could address whether the gap is due to social expectations or spatial constraints.
As self-driving technology advances, the landscape of intimacy with vehicles could change completely. Researchers say self-driving cars could turn cars into portable bedrooms and make car sex increasingly common.
For now, the research team recommends that basic driver safety programs begin mentioning the dangers of sexual distraction. They also suggest that teen sex education courses should recognize the reality of this behavior, rather than deliberately ignoring it. Realistic education programs could encourage young people to simply stay off the road in order to prioritize both sexual safety and road survival.
The study, “New Perspectives on Sexual Behavior in Moving Vehicles Reported by Midwestern College Students,” was authored by Cindy Struckman-Johnson, Peter Anderson, and George Smeaton.
