Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Please drive carefully

I'm going to come clean here - I have no personal axe to grind as I never got round to learning to drive.

But ...

Research by Frank McKenna of Reading University has revealed that women drivers are far safer than men.

  • Women adopt safer following distances
  • Women take more rest breaks on long journeys
  • Men don't slow down enough at bends
  • Men commit more driving violations
  • Males are more aggressive, not just as drivers, and they're coupling that aggression with the vehicle
  • Thrill-seeking - "Males are using the vehicle as a mechanism for thrill-seeking."
  • Emotional outlet - "Stereotypes are that women are more emotional, but males are using the vehicle itself to express themselves, to let off steam."
Apparently the only area where men are better than women is in manoeuvring.

But as the author of the research says:

'Precious few people die parking.'


19 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh dear, I think I was a man in a former driving life!

Unknown said...

Yes! Confirms all my own research!

Saaleha said...

Couldn't see your pic. Says it cannot be displayed because it has errors.
And relieved to know that I am not the only woman who does not drive. But I do have a Learner's License now. One step closer. Care to race?

Anonymous said...

yes, the pic does not display, Debi. But your post indicates perfectly why women get cheaper car insurance than men.

Debi said...

Minx - apply the words 'exception' and 'rule'.

Aty - I thought this WAS your research ...

Saaleha and Maxine - wonder why it's not displaying. Looks fine here. Silly techy nonsense. Sabotaged by a driver of a certain gender maybe?

Anonymous said...

nice to see the sexism continues afoot. are you a closet lesbian? or just a bitter feminist?

Unknown said...

fShould that be 'sexism continues ON foot' eh, Baggy?

Debi said...

Deary me, my dear Admirable. Seems I'm not the one who's bitter. You might want to take up your concerns with the author of the research - a man incidentally.

Meloney Lemon said...

Get the bus. But only if it's a woman driver.

Anonymous said...

Oh there you are, dear. Not making trouble again, are you?
Ah yes,I see,how kind, you were just putting in a good word for those lovely ladies of Lesbos.

Don't mind him, Miss Debi, his gout is playing up again, and few too many from the brandy bottle make him forget his english.

Anonymous said...

Hi Debi :)

It was funny to read this research article :) What was even funnier was seeing how some 'males' responded to it - hehehe

I guess it proves that men need vehicles to vent - hehehe

Very nice blog :)

Debi said...

Pithy and astute as ever, Meloney.

Mrs B - thanks for this. You shouldn't feel you have to apologise for the sailor, you know. Anyway - my sympathies are with you. You know where to come if you fancy some balanced company and a good laugh.

Nice to meet you, Taqdeer. Welcome and thanks for the comment. You mention 'some males' but I should point out only one of the type you refer to is represented here.

Steerforth said...

I didn't see the picture, but in the interests of balance, can I mention a few female driving traits that I've observed:

1. Doing make-up whilst driving
2. Driving at 63mph in the overtaking line for ten miles
3. Chatting to a fellow passenger so enthusiastically that they can't see the huge queue of traffic behind them in the fast lane
4. Overtaking at the last minute
5. The 17-point turn

However, I will admit that men are more dangerous. I once had a car with a turbo-booster and I was transformed from mild-mannered bookseller Steerforth into a boorish, testosterone-fuelled thug who flashed and tailgated anyone doing less than 90mph. It was as if I was possessed by a demon. I was so appalled by my aggressive tendencies that I got rid of the car now drive a fairly green diesel car.

Whilst we're enjoying stereotypes, let's not forget White Van Man, who likes to read the Sun whilst driving.

Debi said...

Steerforth - Good balance from the man with the appropriate name for commenting on a post re driving!

Incidentally - can anyone tell me what the mystery is with the pic and why some people can see it and others can't?

Anonymous said...

Hi Debi,

The picture is on your "Desktop" on your own PC (as a file called "attachment"), so, since no-one else has access to your PC (luckily), we can't see it. I guess you need to do something in your blog editor to upload it somewhere where the rest of the world can see it.

Hope this helps.

Tim.

(You probably won't remember me, but I used to know you briefly in Edgware a long time ago - I used to share a house with Anne's friend Haydn).

Debi said...

Tim - oh wow! Talk about a blast from the long distant past! The wonders of the web, eh? But how did you stumble across me???

Thanks for info. I'd assumed I could just copy and paste - shows what I know. I'll delete the pic now.

Hope to see you here more regularly!

Unknown said...

Love the last line Debi. I seem to recall being quite good at three point turns (although I left England before taking a test), but very bad at holding more than three instructions in my head or knowing which way was left or right.

Anonymous said...

Hi Debi,

It was an article in the Metro a couple of years ago that gave me that "hang on, I know that face" moment, so I read your books, liked them, and noticed a little while ago you'd started blogging, so was dipping in occasionally to see how you were getting on - and when the next book was coming out ...

Tim

Debi said...

Tim - imagine how I felt! I knew the Metro article was coming out that week and was on the train and picked up a copy from the opposite seat. Saw my face looking back at me and nearly shrieked aloud!

Hope to see you here more.

Re next book(s) - no news yet but I'm working on positive visualisation ... so it WILL happen!