Who is a better driver, a man or a woman?
Who is more prone to aggressive driving, reckless overtaking and road rage? A man?
Who is more likely to hesitate at intersections, roundabouts and overtaking? A woman?
Which of these two questions poses more of a danger on the road?
Well going by insurance statistics you would have to say that woman overall are the safer driver because they may exercise more patience behind the wheel than a man.However that's not to say that all women are careful and considerate drivers. Its not to say men are all aggressive and dangerous on the road either. Further a greater percentage of men can quickly and adroitly parallel park. Where women tend to go in front ways and spend 5 to 10 minutes maneuvering with a mixture of forward and reverse gears and left and right steering lock. Certainly you can say that this may not cause much danger to anyone in the vicinity of the car. But I have myself witnessed a few fender benders by woman in huge four-wheel-drives trying to park.
I think this illustrates a clear difference in men and women in how their respective brains function. The woman is able to multi-task between driving, keeping the kids under control and applying make-up. Whereas the man might be distracted from driving only, by an attractive woman walking down the street!
It's commonly thought that when it comes to the very edge of control men may have the ability to handle the vehicle back under control. Where women might give up in the face of a crash.
Or is that just what is stereotypically thought of men and women? From my own personal experience of being in car accident I have seen proof to dispel that theory.
The situation was a van on icy mountain road. The young male driver pulled out to overtake a large bus. The van hit ice on the edge of the road and started to skid. The driver panicked and slammed the brakes on. The van skidded off the road.
I was in one further incident in another van when it went out of control. The driver this time was a middle-aged woman, who in the course of events had the sense to drive out of the skid by applying the accelerator.
To me this proves the exception to the rule that I have just detailed above. That men aren't anymore in control than women are. In the crash I just mentioned it came down to driving experience rather than gender.
This I think is truer for the whole argument. I have been in cars with many drivers of both sexes and many different driving styles. Some women are fast, aggressive and careless just as much as some men are careful and obey the speed limit.
Sure there are many young male drivers who would be called "boy racers" but this is surely limited to those of us who are interested in driving fast and powerful cars. Not males as a whole.
Safe drivers aren't solely men or women. There people that have knowledge and/or experience behind the wheel and a desire to drive safely.
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