By the looks of the average Top Gear enthusiast/producer/presenter, men would be much, much better drivers than women. Much surprise, then, that a study of over a thousand male and female drivers found that women are far superior.
The study looked at 50 male and female drivers, testing them on various skills, such as ‘Adequate use of mirrors’ and ‘Steering/control of the vehicle’, rating them from 1-100 on each skill.
While men rated, on average 100 on steering/control of the vehicle (women got an average of 96) and 82 on effective observation (women got an average of 71), they slid way down on things like tailgating – driving too close to the vehicle in front – which they did almost seven times as much as women, and again on cutting dangerously into traffic, with 14% of men to 1% of women doing this.
The overall result? Women got an average score of 79/100 to men’s 66/100.
Why is it that women are so much better than men at driving? While MailOnline reports it’s because people ‘conformed to gender stereotypes’ in that men took risks and women were more courteous, it might just be because of the time-worn stereotype of women being told they’re crap at driving making them a bit more considerate.
The tests were backed up with a poll of 1,383 people which said that only 28% of women thought they were better drivers than men, compared to 13% of men who thought women were better behind the wheel.
The makers of the study, Privilege car insurance, propelled further forward the myth of women being crap at driving by suggesting the study should make men scared: ‘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.’
We do wonder, if we ever get to a stage where women’s automototive prowess actually equals that of men and everyone actually believes it, women will take their foot off the pedal of trying that bit harder to be treated the same. And all, suddenly, becoming terrible drivers.
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Picture: Lukasz Wierzbowski
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.