London - It appears that only one thing has prevented women being declared better drivers than men – their modesty.
A study has found that women really are more proficient behind the wheel – they just lack the confidence to say it.
When put through their paces, women motorists comfortably beat men in a series of driving tests.
They also performed better when observed driving around one of Britain’s busiest junctions, Hyde Park Corner in London.
In the tests, men and women conformed to gender stereotypes – with men more likely to take risks, drive too close to the car in front, cut corners, go through lights on amber or talk and text at the wheel.
By contrast, women are more likely to be courteous and considerate, take care when approaching potential hazards, use their mirrors correctly and stop at lights when they turn amber.
The study by Privilege Insurance concluded: “After years of debate and banter comes the news that will have men running for cover. It is now official: women are actually better drivers than men.
“In what may come as a shock to men across the country, women fared better in many areas of the scoring.”
The tests were supplemented by a driver-attitude poll of 1383 motorists, which found that fewer than a third of women (28 percent) believed they were better drivers than men. By contrast, only one in eight men (13 percent) thought women were superior behind the wheel.
PUT TO THE TEST
The results came from a series of tests designed by driving instructor Neil Beeson. A sample of 50 male and female drivers faced an in-car assessment along a specially designed route, while 200 more were observed anonymously at Hyde Park Corner.
The motorists were marked on 14 different aspects of driving including speed, observational skill, response to other road users and traffic light obedience. They were then given a score out of 30.
Overall, women scored 23.6 points (79 percent) out of a possible 30, while men managed only 19.8 (66 percent).
Mr Beeson said: “What this report shows is that men need to give their female counterparts their due when it comes to driving. The facts don’t lie.”
Charlotte Fielding, head of car insurance at Privilege, said: “The research has shown a big discrepancy between how men think they drive and how they actually drive.”
Daily Mail