As plenty of long-suffering women will confirm, male drivers are notorious for refusing to ask for directions - even when they’re hopelessly lost.
But it seems their stubborn refusal to accept assistance behind the wheel doesn’t stop there.
Chaps would rather dent their car than their pride when it comes to seeking help in improving their driving, a survey has found.
The AA in the UK offered 2000 free lessons to help “nervous, rusty, lapsed and dangerous motorists get back behind the wheel with renewed confidence and competence” but just 22 percent of those who signed up were men.
A spokesman for the AA Charitable Trust said: “We are urging male drivers not to ignore their driving fears, even though our figures show how unlikely they are to seek any help with their driving.”
Despite the reluctance of men to take part in training, official figures show they are more than twice as likely to be involved in accidents. In 2011, 17 478 men were killed or seriously injured on the roads, compared to 7544 women.
PRIDE GETTING IN THE WAY
AA director Edmund King said: “Drivers should not let pride get in the way of improving their skills. Everyone, no matter how long they have had their licence, can become a safer driver and we all have a responsibility to ensure our skills are up to date.
“Males shouldn’t worry about their pride being dented as further driver training can reduce risk. There is nothing to lose from asking for help if there is an area of your driving you think could be improved.”
He added: “There is clearly a need for quality, qualified driver tuition.
“I have high hopes that our template will also allow other organisations to roll out similar initiatives worldwide and help improve road safety on an international scale.”
The AA poll lso showed that drivers aged 21 to 25 were the most likely to sign up for the free refresher course.
And there was also a regional divide, with 30 percent of participants from the South East, compared to 10 percent from the North West. -Daily Mail