My mom gave me the sex talk in the car. We spent most of the ride discussing innocent topics, but when we approached our street she blurted, "promise me you won't have sex until college!"

Given Mom's outburst, it's no surprise to me that moms use car trips as a chance to talk to their kids. According a study by insurance company Sheilas' Wheels [we don't get the placement of the apostrophe either — maybe it's an Australian thing?], 11 percent of moms have give their kids a ride somewhere just to get a chance to talk to them. And 56 percent say it's easier to talk in the car than other places. Some mothers cited limited eye contact as helpful when bringing up sensitive topics, but the article also brings up another perk of the car conversation: kids are trapped. Unless you want to jump out at fifty miles an hour, you have to listen — or, in my case, promise. [Telegraph]

Send an email to Anna North, the author of this post, at annanorth@jezebel.com.