Drivers dole out more than £9 million over a motoring lifetime to repair damage caused by back-seat driver distractions, it was revealed today.

As many as 66% of motorists have been victims of unwanted attention from back-seat drivers, a survey by insurance company Confused.com found.

Distractions caused by such interference has led to accidents for almost a quarter of drivers, who have to fork out up to £500 to repair the resultant damage during their driving life.

More than two in three women and 70% of drivers aged over 55 have suffered from back-seat drivers, the survey indicated.

It also showed that the worst back-seat drivers were bus drivers, train drivers and delivery men, with teachers the most patient of passengers.

Most drivers said they would rather journey with work colleagues than loved ones, with partners and parents being particularly disruptive when passengers in vehicles.

Among the most-commonly heard comments from passengers are "Watch the cyclist", "Watch the parked lorry" and "Aren't you going too fast?", the survey found.

Popular mannerisms revealed by the study include gripping the door handle tightly, a not-so-subtle glance at the speedometer and pushing an imaginary pedal.

Confused.com head of car insurance Gareth Kloet said: "As motoring costs continue to rise at a meteoric rate, it's never been more important for drivers to keep their costs as low as possible.

"Our research shows that having other people in the car can distract us from the road, and lead to accidents which in turn increases the cost of our car insurance policies."