Loved and hated bumper stickers

The most popular bumper stickers are inspirational (Believe, Magic Happens), fishing (I'm going fishing, Will trade wife for boat), school or university promotional stickers and the stick figure families, according to a survey released by car insurance company Budget Direct.

Company spokesperson Richelle Ward said stickers were a great way for vehicle owners to express themselves. However, she warned drivers to be cautious about what they are advertising.

"Displaying a sticker for expensive stereo equipment you have installed may attract unwanted attention," she said.

Shop Cars

Search all cars

Search all cars

"We had a young gentleman not so long ago who had a large Clarion sticker on his car. His car was broken into and the only thing stolen was the sub woofer and amp. While we can't say for sure the sticker was the catalyst for the brake in we believe it's a good indication of what advertising can do."

University of Queensland social psychology professor Jolanda Jetten says people who plaster stickers on their car are "abdicating their right to privacy" in a similar vein to those who publish private details on Facebook.

Prof Jetten says stickers serve to personalise a car.

"It's an expression of your identity," she says.

"I'm quite intrigued by the stick family stickers because people are openly expressing who the family is. Interesting that you will always have happy families represented there, never a single person or separated parents. And it's always on family cars such as SUVs, never on sports cars. But even though it's representing happy families, some people find them quite irritating. I wouldn't put a sticker on my car, even for the school where my kids go. I don't want to have any markers and advertise my own identity."

Everyone, including Candy the Maltese cross poodle, is represented in the stick figure family stickers on the back of the McGavin family Kluger.

"I just found them humorous," says father Graeme.

They also proudly feature a sticker for St John's Anglican College, Forest Lake, where their eldest son, Jason, has been college captain this year.

"We're fairly proud to be driving around telling people we support the college. It's done the right thing by us and we believe in the strong people there."

The survey of drivers in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne also found external attachments such as Australian flags and reindeer horns were popular, but car aerials shaped like a map of Australia, animals or question marks were turn-offs for other motorists.

TOP FIVE GREATS

• Inspirational (Believe, Magic Happens)
• Fishing (I'm going fishing, Will trade wife for boat)
• School or University promotional stickers
• Stick figure family
• External attachments (Aussie flag, reindeer horns).

TOP FIVE HATES

• Politically themed
• Animated ladies
• Ute stickers (I wish my girlfriend was this dirty, Drive it like you stole it)
• Car aerial shapes (maps of Australia, question marks)
• Frangipani stickers.