Home>Articles
on Road Rage and Aggressive Driving>Gender and Driving--Men vs. Women
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Gender Differences
in Driving: Men vs. Women
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also by Dr. Leon James: USA & Canada Data on Aggressive Driving - Men vs. Women Cars, Drivers, Passengers and Relationships, Marriage, Romance Songs About Cars and Driving on Roads
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The following
student reports followed specific written guidelines provided by
Dr.
James. These instructions varied from semester to semester. Links to these instructions
will be found in each report.
See also this article by Dr. Leon James presenting statistics for men and women.
Interview with Dr. Leon James
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Controversies |
From Mait@aol.com Sun Apr 23 14:50:40 2000 Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 14:45:38 -1000 Subject: Statistics on Women Drivers Dear Dr. Driving, Being an actuary, I frequently find myself appalled at the flagrant misuse to which supposedly "informed" sources put statistics. Specifically, I find the comments about women drivers that appear on your website irresponsible, to say the least. Statistics about the absolute number of accidents or fatalities committed by drivers of differing genders tell a very incomplete story. The fact is that men drive 80% more miles than women, on the average. In terms of accidents and fatalities per mile driven, women are significantly more dangerous behind the wheel than men. Please update your site to correct its slanted representation of the facts. Sincerely, Robert From leon@hawaii.edu Sun Apr 23 15:22:09 2000 You're assuming that miles driven is the only factor. What evidence do you have that it is the only? And if it's not the only, please give a more specific distribution. I'm afraid that your way of figuring is not more scientific than those you referred to on my site. If I'm wrong I will make all necessary corrections to better represent how things actually are. Please write back with a more specific statement of how you figure it scientifically and statistically. My guess is that after all your trouble, you will still end up with trends that can be interpreted in more than one way. I'd be happy to post your messages on that page. ==================== Date: Fri, 5 May 2000 11:00:09 -1000 If there's anything else you want me to post, please send it to me. I'm only involved in this in helping to gather the opinions and facts and I don't want to appear that I'm supporting a prejudiced view. I do believe right now that the facts are not available, except the well established fact that you point out, that men drive more miles. Other factors that contribute to crash rates include the style of driving, not just the amount. And in this respect, I believe that women are less aggressive. Take for instance the survey data I have in this article. Even if some women are more aggressive than most men, nevertheless the majority of women are less aggressive than the majority of men, and this I believe, contributes to lower crash rates for women who drive as many miles as men. However, again, I know of no accurate data in this respect. Let me know if you know, and I'll post it. If you want to write an article about it, I'll post that too. ========================== I meant to tell you that I have several references to journal articles on (just use the Find command for gender--there are about 8 I believe) Take care and have a nice day, Mr. Cole! Leon James =========================== Date: Fri, 5 May 2000 15:18:55 -1000 Dear Dr. (is this title correct?) James, Thank you for your response to my email. Having been granted equal time, it is now much more difficult for me to accuse you of bias. I will try to keep an eye on any responses your readers may make. Presumably these will appear in the "Dear Dr. Driving" section? As for your comments about male aggression and its contribution to accident rate, I'm not certain that I agree with your hypothesis. Oh, I don't doubt that you are correct that "road rage" exists, that is more of a problem in men than in women, and that it contributes to accidents. However, I also believe that there is a fine line between aggression and decisiveness. The former is a weakness, but the latter is a strength. And just as men are probably more aggressive than women on the road, they are likely more decisive as well. At least, it seems that 90% of the time I see a driver pull out into an intersection and then hesitate, risking accident, the culprit turns out to be a woman. This, I believe, is the primary factor contributing to the higher rate of accidents per mile driven among women. This is clearly an opinion, as I do not have the facts necessary to prove it, but you offered yours so I thought I would offer mine. Sincerely, Robert |
| Wednesday June 20 |
Press Release SOURCE: Volvo Cars of North America
Are Men Better Than Apes When Road
Rage Strikes? ROCKLEIGH, N.J., June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Road rage is an increasingly dangerous phenomenon. It's been estimated the number of incidents increases by 7% per year, yet surprisingly there are virtually no statistics to prove its effect on vehicular accidents. ``Basically we're very frustrated with this issue. We can't engineer safety devices that detect the onset of extreme mood changes and we can't take control of a vehicle. There comes a point when drivers must take personal responsibility for their actions. In the end, how we control our anger is the best offense/defense against this growing problem,'' states Christer Gustafsson, Senior Safety Engineer at Volvo's head office in Gothenburg, Sweden. Are we becoming more aggressive? Are there early signs of this behavior? Are the trigger mechanisms different for men than women? Can road rage be controlled? Volvo asked Dr. Joyce Brothers, an internationally recognized psychologist to answer those questions. (...) ``Men and women have different road rage triggers. Men perceive the vehicle as a safe zone, a metal protection shell that shields them from outside world. Much like an animal protects its domain, violating a personal space sets off something that turns otherwise normal, nice guy next door, person into a tiger. When this happens, men are at the same mental level as an ape -- a being who protects his space, at all costs and without logical thought as to the consequences. ``Women, on the other hand, have lists. They like order and structure. Off to food shop, pick up dry cleaning, haul children from school to soccer to home. Their lists can be long and over ambitious. When they start running out of time, their list deteriorates and so does their ability to react logically to potentially dangerous driving situations. ``Road rage can be controlled. Not easily, but by recognizing what sets you off and then considering behavioral alternatives, one can encounter a dangerous situation and still remain in control.'' (...) Men: A vehicle is a dangerous weapon. The law of physics is unforgiving -- speed and mass can be lethal. Women: Keep lists and appointments reasonable. If you can, prioritize your day's schedule and factor in delays beyond your control. Road Rage -- The Consequences And Cure How should one handle rage? What are the consequences of letting it all hang out? What do we teach our children about anger and if we have a terrible temper, do we need professional help? If you'd like to compare your views with those of some experts, here's your chance. 1. Men and women tend to handle anger in different ways. True False 2. Children should be taught that anger and rage are no-nos and that these are not acceptable feelings. True False 3. In order for people to change their patterns of expressing temper, they need to seek professional help. True False 4. Parents can't, and don't, pass on their anger and aggressive behavior to their children. True False 5. Expressing anger by yelling, or simply letting it all hang out, diminishes it and is generally productive. True False 6. When a young child has a temper tantrum, give him what he/she wants and explain it in detail later. True False 7. Anger never serves a useful purpose. True False 8. Humor is always the best release for anger and the best way to get back at the person causing the rage. True False Dr. Brothers answers: 1. True. Males are allowed much more freedom to express anger than females. Females learn from an early age that it isn't lady-like to explode or express anger directly. This causes many problems when these little girls mature into women. 2. False. Children should be taught that it's all right to feel angry and that this needn't be a denial of love. Both emotions can exist together. What they do need to be taught is how to control rage so that it isn't destructive to others, nor to themselves. They need to find constructive, productive channels. 3. False. This isn't always necessary. We can change and learn new patterns or behavior of our own if we're motivated. Often when we're angry, it helps merely to take time and count to ten ... also try writing down feelings, before verbalizing them, record when you feel angry and what precipitates it. Analyze the results and try quietly talking and listening to others, rather than screaming. 4. False. They do. Children learn to be aggressive by imitating their role models, and, unfortunately, aggressive children turn into aggressive adults unless this pattern is broken. While there may be a link between hormones, environment, and some traits toward aggression may be inherited, environment plays a strong role. 5. False. This is a dangerous myth. It doesn't diminish, it increases the rage not only in the person who's angry, but also in everyone around him or her. This is counterproductive, as rage is highly contagious. 6. False. Temper tantrums should never be rewarded. If possible, reassure the child with hugs, if the youngster is old enough reassure through language, but explain that you may have to remove him or her briefly in order to protect the needs of others. 7. False. It does serve a useful purpose. It may serve as a warning to others, that they've gone too far and crossed certain boundaries. There are also many legitimate reasons to be angry. 8. False. Humor can be a wonderful release for anger and tension, but it can also be used as a mask and a sadistic means for a coward not to face the results of his or her own emotions. It can be highly productive or counter-productive, depending upon the way it's being used. ``If you answered six of these eight questions correctly, you're better informed than most on this issue,'' states Dr. Brothers. (...) |
| REPORT FROM AUSTRALIA Women behind the Wheel: A Statistical Overview of Road Crash Involvement R. Attewell (...) This report forms part of a series published by the Federal Office of Road Safety (FORS) on women and road safety. It presents national road crash statistics for women, and in particular, women drivers involved in fatal crashes and crashes resulting in hospitalisation. There are two other reports in this series: a review of published female driver research and an analysis of attitudes and driving behaviours of young and middle-aged women obtained through a recent survey of women from across Australia. Even though the national road toll is decreasing, the number of women drivers killed and hospitalised is increasing. This is due an increase in the number of women obtaining drivers licences and an increase in the amount of travel they are undertaking. The presence of women as drivers is expected to continue to grow since the level of licensing and the amount of distance travelled is still below that of men. In 1995, 79% of women aged 17 years or over had driving or motor cycle licences compared to 96% of men, and, for every kilometre driven in cars by women, men drove 1.5 kilometres. Despite the increases in travel by women, the rate of fatalities and the rate of hospitalisations per distance driven is continuing to decrease for both male and female drivers indicating that improvements in roads, car design and road safety campaigns are impacting on both male and female drivers. However, the rates at which the decreases are occurring are faster for men than women for both fatal and non-fatal injuries. Between 1976 and 1995 the fatality rate for female car drivers has decreased approximately 3.9% per year compared with a decrease of 4.9% per year for male car drivers. Similarly, between 1980 and 1995 the hospitalisation rate for female car drivers has decreased approximately 3.2% per year compared with 4.4% for male car drivers. Specifically targeting women drivers may address imbalances as well as ensuring further reductions. In spite of the relative differences in the rates of change, men still have a considerably higher fatality rate than women. In 1995, the fatality rate for male car drivers (0.76 deaths per 100 million km) was 1.64 times higher than that for female car drivers (0.46). However, the differential between men and women decreases for less severe crashes. In fact, the rate of hospitalisation of female car drivers (8.35 per 100 million km driven) is 1.15 times higher than that for men (7.35 per 100 million km driven). For both men and women, the rates of death and injury per distance travelled are highest for the youngest and oldest drivers. The most common age of female drivers killed or hospitalised in road crashes is 18 years. A total of 41% of both male and female drivers aged under 25 who are involved in hospitalisation crashes have learner’s or provisional licences. Typical crash scenarios differ according to age and gender in similar patterns. Hospitalisation crashes involving younger drivers and male drivers are more typically single vehicle or head-on crashes, occurring at night or on weekends, often involving alcohol, whereas crashes involving older drivers or female drivers are more typically crashes at intersections, in lower speed zones occurring during the day and on weekdays and not generally involving alcohol. original report here (along with the full report) Women behind the Wheel: Review of Literature Relating to Male and Female Drivers (...) In contrast to an extended literature comparing older and younger drivers, limited direct attention has been given to the safety of women as drivers relative to men. As well as reviewing material bearing on this latter issue, the commentary is a technical report that identifies conceptual and methodological issues that need to be addressed in comparing men and women as drivers. Limited direct consideration has been given to the relative safety of men and women as drivers. Although sex differences have sometimes been noted through secondary analysis of measures, studies have often reported data for men and women combined. Where there have been explicit attempts to identify relative risk for men and women, the analyses typically have been no more than descriptive in orientation. Even at a descriptive level there are substantial methodological issues that need to be addressed in determining whether men and women differ in safety as drivers (or if relative driver safety has changed over time). Additional requirements bearing on validity of inference need to be satisfied if data on men and women as drivers are to be interpreted in theoretical or explanatory terms. Research to date on sex differences in driving is deficient on methodological and conceptual grounds. When comparing men and women it is important to keep in mind that sex as a variable is inevitably confounded with many processes that potentially impact on the outcome of Interest. The question then arises as to whether differences obtained in outcome between men and women are more appropriately attributed to the confounds than described as sex differences. As an example, there are driving exposure differences between men and women. Since crash risk varies with exposure, the issue is whether crash differences between men and women reflect anything more than exposure differences. One strategy has been to adjust crash statistics by making allowance for exposure. Hence fatality rates are generally expressed with reference to distances driven. Even exposure based risk estimates can be confounded by a number of factors such as driver age, trauma consequence, driver experience, vehicle characteristics, and driving habits. original report here (along with the full report)
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| Driving Trends: |
| Men And Women Behind The Wheel Who’s a better driver, a man or a woman? That question, discussed and argued for many years, was the subject of a survey conducted by Prince Market Research (PMR) on behalf of Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. as part of Firestone’s Centennial activities. When asked, who drives more safely, men or women, a little more than half (56%) of the total survey respondents said women drive more safely. Further results show each gender believing they drive safer than the opposite sex. Approximately three-quarters (76%) of the women interviewed said they are safer drivers, while more than two-thirds (69%) of the men surveyed believe they are the safer drivers. Other survey data showed areas where there are similarities between men and women: 53% of the women surveyed said they occasionally exceed the speed limit, while 60% of the men said that they did. 22% of the men and women interviewed said they sometimes experience "road rage" – in effect, showing road rage affects the genders equally. 79% of the women and 78% of the men surveyed said they have never talked their way out of a speeding ticket. 47% of the men and 49% of the women surveyed said they would trust a male more than a female to service their vehicle. Similarly, 50% of the men and 47% of the women said they would have no preference. But some real gender differences were exposed: Not surprisingly, 64% of the women often ask for directions when they are lost, while 71% of the men do not ask for directions. 18% of the men and 7% of the women rated themselves as a moderately aggressive drivers. A slim 1% of men and women said they were very aggressive. The survey also revealed there was a major difference in the knowledge of air pressure in tires: Only 7% of the men surveyed did not know how much air they are supposed to keep in their tires, while a whopping 51% of the women had no idea. (The correct answer varies according to manufacturer’s specifications.) In answer to tire fears, Bridgestone/Firestone Tire Sales Company recently introduced the Firestone FT70c with UNI-T® featuring Sealix™. Changing a flat tire has never been fun and in unpredictable circumstances and locations can be very dangerous. The new self-sealing tire, which offers a sense of security to both genders, will be available in test markets throughout the United States in mid-March. The FT70c with UNI-T featuring Sealix incorporates a patented sealant material that can seal most tread punctures up to 3/16" in diameter. The self-sealing tire will offer the same outstanding performance in rain, along with snow traction, as the original FT70c introduced in 1997. original
here Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 09:15:59 -1000 Hi, Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 16:12:15 -1000 (HST) Try these: Aloha, From: Leon James Dr. LP, I can give permission to use the materials and questionnaires on Dr. Driving's site on an individual basis for individual requests indicating the purpose and extent of use. I'd be glad to do so in your case, just give me the details in your request. The stats I was referring to is from another source and you can check the original Page. It appears in my file here. For your convenience, here is the relevant portion: Are Women Drivers Becoming More Aggressive ?Here are two segments on the topic. One is a Reuters article that appeared at InfoBeat news service. The other appeared in a MEDIA RELEASE--17 September 1997 of the AAMI Insurance association. The two are apparently from the same source. 09:35 AM ET 12/08/97 Women no longer give way in battle for road MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Young women are the new hot-heads of the road, according to an Australian study which found they are almost as prone to road rage as young men. The study commissioned by an insurance firm has found that female drivers aged below 30 are only slightly less likely to tail-gate, hurl abuse, shake their fists, blast their horns and cut in front of other drivers as any young man. An aggression index, compiled from a survey released at the weekend by the Australian Associated Motor Insurers Ltd (AAMI), shows young women have hit 31.77 points on a road rage ``Richter'' scale, less than a point shy of men on 32.63. Young women and men rated the highest on the aggression index, which ranged from 0-100. ``Everyone else's road rage index has actually decreased, but the young women's index has increased,'' AAMI spokesman Michael Kay told Reuters Monday. ``Women are now taking their place as equals in society and there are some good things that happen as a result and, perhaps, some not-so-good things,'' he added. But women mellow faster than men with age, the study found. Women aged over 55 barely register on the road rage index. Significant reduction in rate of accidents - good news for motoristsS. but young women drivers are exhibiting significant aggressive driving tendencies. The national accident claims incidence rate of motor vehicles in Australia has reached the lowest level in four years. The national rate for the 12 months to 31 August 1997 was 13.3 per cent compared to 13.8 per cent for the corresponding year. This coincides with a 12.4 per cent drop in the number of road fatalities in Australia in the first nine months this year, compared to the corresponding period last year. Between 1 January and 30 September this year 1301 people were killed on Australian roads. In the same period last year, the figure was 1485. (The Claims Incidence Rate is the number of policyholders per 100 who have accidents in a given year). The benefit for motorists and insurers alike is that the reduction in the incidence rate should see most premiums remain virtually unchanged for the first time in many years. Despite the increase in smash repair costs and theft on a national basis, AAMI believes the 3.8% drop in the incidence rate in the year ended 31 August 1996-97, would be equal to about $200 million being slashed from the national motor insurance claims bill. Other significant findings of the third AAMI Crash Index were: Nose to tail accidents accounted for 27.3 per cent of all collisions in the year to 30 June 1996-97, compared to 25.9 per cent in the year to 30 June 1995-96, a rise of 5.2%. While there was a 15% drop in nose to tail accidents in Tasmania in the year ended 30 June 1996-97, Victoria and New South Wales recorded rises of 6.3% and 5.6% respectively in the same period. The number of single car accident claims dropped 2.9% from 14.3 per cent of all accidents in the year to 30 June 1995-96 compared to 13.9 per cent in the year to 30 June 1996-97. New South Wales had the highest incidence rate of 14.9 per cent in the year to 31 August 1996-97. But this was still down 2.7% compared to the figure of 15.3 per cent in 1995-96. For the same period, North Queensland recorded the largest overall drop from 11.5 per cent to 10.2 per cent, a fall of 12.7%. An independent study conducted by the respected research firm, Brian Sweeney & Associates, for AAMI, found that more and more young women drivers were copying the sorts of aggressive behaviour of their male counterparts. The study found aggressive driving behaviour continued to be a significant issue confronting Australian motorists. The key findings of the survey were: 39 per cent of drivers (up 12%) toot their horns at cars to draw attention to the errors of other drivers. One in five drivers gesticulate at other motorists when angry at them. 7 per cent of drivers tailgate other motorists and flash their headlights when angry. Nearly two thirds of all motorists (64 per cent) say they frequently encounter motorists who get unreasonably angry without real provocation. Six out of every 10 drivers regard the roads as a battlefield. Young and middle-aged male drivers are the most likely to oppose strict road policing and driver penalties. Young male and female drivers are far more likely than older drivers to speed and drive when tired. Reasons for the drop in the national crash incidence rate is thought by AAMI to be attributable to a number of factors which include: Dry weather caused by the El Nino effect has meant safer driving conditions. All major cities recorded a significant drop in rainfall, with the exception of Sydney which recorded a nominal increase - drier roads equate to lower crash rates. Historic trends show that as the economy tightens, the incidence rate reduces. Significant contributors have undoubtedly been the role of the State police forces and insurers including AAMI, as well as the bi-partisan commitment Australia-wide to the road toll and driver education. These views are supported by the Sweeney Study of the AAMI Crash Index. Some of the study1s findings included: 90 per cent of motorists say there is no excuse for drink driving. Two thirds of motorists support further tightening of drink driving legislation. Women are generally more supportive of an increased police presence than males. Three quarters (or 75 per cent) of all motorists agree police are doing a good job in terms of road safety. Nearly half (or 48 per cent) of motorists would like to see more speed cameras as a further deterrent to dangerous driving and more than 70 per cent would like to see more police on the roads. Only one in seven motorists (14 per cent) believe there are too many motoring rules and regulations. While the reduction in the incidence rate is good news for every Australian motorist, in AAMI1s view, there are still long term danger areas. Young drivers - male and female - continue to have accidents at rates up to 50 per cent higher than more mature motorists. AAMI also asks every Australian motorist to consider their frame of mind when driving. Lack of concentration accounts for the majority of accident claims. The Crash Index reveals that more than half of all accidents are caused by motorists either failing to give-way or simply running into the car ahead. Aggressive driving behaviour is still prevalent and on the increase - particularly among younger people. AAMI continues to recommend more comprehensive, graduated licences and driver training for young drivers as a first step in preparing them for the responsibilities they face on the roads. For further information: Copyright 1997 AAMI Limited, ACN 004 791 744 Subject: Welsh Women Drivers Subject: Re: Welsh Women Drivers
Subject: Re: Welsh Women
Drivers From:
"Nicholas B" Robbie wrote in message <01bd7470$cdfcd520$LocalHost@default>...>I have only been driving for a few short years yet I have already been>involved in three accidents, all involving women.<Snip>This is probably because apparently there are more women drivers on the road now (according to the radio the other day) so the odds of having a prang with the female driver are therefore greater. This isn't because women are bad drivers it is because there are more. This either means that women rein general richer than men and have jobs and can therefore afford a car or women are better drivers than men and less of them die in fatal car crashes than men, or a mixture of both reasons. The other thing is given the number of transvestites about these days not to mention men with long hair (shock horror!) I would think it quite difficult to read the sex of a person in another vehicle without close examination which could be quite dangerous at speed. perhaps one should keep ones eyes on the road instead of trying to work out the sex of other drivers. Subject: Re: Welsh Women Drivers From: m@m.ee.man.ac.uk (Paul F) Date: 1998/05/02 Newsgroups: uk.local.south-wales In article <354B7F02.5C7AD0C6@cymru98.prestel.co.uk>,David
R
wrote: Subject: Re: Welsh Women Drivers From: "Robbie M" <i@s.pipex.com> Date: 1998/05/03 Newsgroups: uk.local.south-wales Paul F wrote: > Personally I find men tend to be aggressive and overestimate their skills, > women hesitant. But you're not obliged to take on aggressive men with their overestimated skills. If you're not in the mood to teach a speed merchant a lesson, for example, let them get on with it. You are far safer with them ahead of you than behind you, when all said and done. Ultimately it's their own funeral, the pity of it is that they may take a few innocents with then. Isn't it funny funeral should have 'fun' in it? At mine I'd like them to play "It's a Perfect Day", either Lou's original or Kirsty MacColl's cover but not the BBC version for God's sake. I'll be turning in my coffin before I'm even in the grave. The real pains on the road are surely the slow hesitant types doing everything (eventually) in ultra slow motion. They never overtake, they never reverse and they never exceed 50mph. This group is predominantly made up of: Women. Men who drive like women. Men who wear hats and drive like women. The elderly (come on bamps I can run faster than this). Learner drivers (we've all been there). Thus the true pains are your oh but so slow moving vehicles. These vehicles, as well as being *any* driven by a member of the ultra slow motion gang, also include: Heavily laden lorries. Caravans. JCBs. Tractor and other farm type things. Cars upon whose roof racks is a sheet of something the area of a football pitch tied on with bits of string. Three wheel type things. Classic cars (a euphemism for a pile of junk, I think something's fallen off your car mate). Get two or more of any of the above in row, ahead of you, and you've a recipe for road rage (cue Catatonia). Very often, in a funeral type procession of vehicles there is a legitimate slow moving vehicle leading it. The real clown is the driver (sometimes two or three drivers) directly behind. For come hell or high water they are not going to overtake for any reason whatsoever. If anyone wants to get by they have to take their life in their hands and do a job lot. Robbie... Subject: Re: Welsh Women Drivers From: "Robbie M" <i@s.pipex.com> Date: 1998/05/03 Message-ID: <01bd76e1$08e6bb20$dd4c95c1@default> Newsgroups: uk.local.south-wales [More Headers] [Subscribe to uk.local.south-wales] Jean L wrote: > Well R, > how did you get so perfect? Hi Jean, I know a rhetorical question when I see one. Sarcasm can be kool but mostly it's not, yours is okay. I suspect that you may be taking my comments a shade too personal. I am only generalizing, ya know, as you do to get a point across. I am afraid the elderly do tend to take their time more on the roads. Thus the rest of make allowances, we'll all be there one day, if we're fortunate enough. It's a little more difficult to make allowances for other road users (male or female) who seem, for no apparent reason, to have an unreasonably slow perspective of time and motion. > I have been a driver for 30 years. You know, one of those really ELDERLY > female grandma types of 50.Yeah! I even wear glasses but I have my own > teeth. Sorry, this just won't wash, you really cannot get away with considering yourself elderly at 50. Goldie Hawn is 52 and I wouldn't dream of kicking her out of... um... I wouldn't, given the opportunity, make any special allowances or considerations, regarding her driving skills. > I have had two accidents. One caused by a middle aged male who was > prosecuted for driving without due care and attention and the other by a > 20 year old who had only just thrown his L plates away. He was just > perfect too, he wasn't insured. Slight contradiction in terms there in the last sentence. No, my mistake, more sarcasm right? Generalizations will always have exceptions, by definition, that doesn't make them invalid though. > be happy. Thanx, you too. > keep us amused > Jean ;-) No more being mean to me please. Robbie...
Subject: Re: Welsh Women Drivers From: r@h.ed.ac.uk ( Rhiannon M) Date: 1998/05/05 Newsgroups: uk.local.south-wales It was a dark and stormy night, and as the people in uk.local.south-wales huddled around the fire, Robbie M told them this story: > Paul F wrote: > > Personally I find men tend to be aggressive and overestimate their skills, > > women hesitant. On the other hand, I (female) tend to drive in a rather stereotypically male way (in that I tend to be decisive rather than cautious). Both methods of driving have their own drawbacks and advantages. I have found that in town driving, the most important thing of all is to be predictable - so indicate, make sure you're in the correct lane, even to the point of if you're in the wrong lane and it's too late to change, go the wrong way rather than brake suddenly and run the risk of having the cars behind you do a bumper shunt. You can probably go round the block and end up the same way you were going anyway.. > But you're not obliged to take on aggressive men with their overestimated > skills. If you're not in the mood to teach a speed merchant a lesson, for > example, let them get on with it. You are far safer with them ahead of you > than behind you, when all said and done. Ultimately it's their own funeral, I couldn't agree more! If it matters that much to them to get ahead, let them - even slow down a bit as they draw alongside you to help them on their way. It won't do you any harm. > The real pains on the road are surely the slow hesitant types doing Yes; it's actually far more dangerous to creep than to speed on some roads (for certain values of creeping and speeding, at any rate :) : it encourages people behind to try and overtake in smaller windows than they would if you were going at a reasonable speed, and thus run the risk of a head-on collision. Very slow vehicles, of course (tractors and the like, which don't have any gear above second) can be overtaken in narrow windows anyway. Big lorries are another matter though, because you can't see round them. Bear in mind that a car stuck behind a lorry at the head of a big queue may not overtake the beast where you would because it isn't as powerful as yours - either it has a smaller engine or it's more weighed down. It is quite reasonable for such a car to not want to run the risk of overtaking a (possibly longer than normal) vehicle and not make it. Rhiannon
Subject: Re: Welsh Women Drivers From: MR <h@i.demon.co.uk> Date: 1998/05/03 Newsgroups: uk.local.south-wales >several car insurance companies allow women lower premiums because they regard them as a safer risk than men < mainly because they drive cheaper cars and have less claims , not because they have less accidents. if you measure they accidents by miles to accidents men come out ( very ) slightly ahead. In general men tend to have aggression accidents and women concentration ones. As an aside men have almost treble the number of accidents on " black ice" ( male diver speak for " Is it icy then?) than women ( who maybe haven't heard of this excuse yet) Marc Subject: Re: Welsh Women Drivers From: "Ade A" a@globalnet.co.uk Date: 1998/05/02Message-ID: Newsgroups: uk.local.south-wales I have driven all around the UK repairing PCs and have done hundreds of thousands of miles in the last couple of years. I have been involved in one accident and one near miss, both involving female drivers. I was approaching the traffic lights at the bottom of Cowbridge Rd West in Cardiff doing about 32mph in a 30mph zone (slow for me, I admit) when the light changed to red. I braked normally for the lights, but when I glanced in the mirror I was a girl in a Fiesta behind me and had time to think "She isn't going to st......." when BANG, she hit me. We both got out of the canard she asked me why I slammed my brakes on!!! What? Excuse me, but she hadn't even seen the red light, let alone me braking to stop for it -gently, might I add. I rest case #1. The next incident was on a single carriageway A road near Newcastle. I had a woman in a Range Rover in front of me doing around 50mph in the 60mph limit, nothing too wrong with that. The road straighten out for a long distance and could see a long way ahead so I pulled out to over take, but as I did bam appeared in front of me from a blind dip I couldn't see, so I calmly hither brakes and slipped back in behind the Range Rover, no problem - until she does an emergency stop! I was already on the brakes, but as she slammed on in front of me I managed not to hit her but locked up behind her - all that she needed to do was come off the brake so I could do the same and the incident would have been over calmly - but no, she carries on to do a full emergency stop. Why???? She needn't have concerned herself with my manourvreat all, if she hadn't hit the brakes the would not have been an incident! Asit was we stopped with my front bomber less than an inch from hers, then she just drove off again! I kept well back till we joined a dual carriageway and the I passed safely waving goodbye! Why oh why did she hit the brakes? Oak's I pulled out at the wrong moment to overtake, but I slipped back in behind her with no problems - she caused the problem with her right foot on the brake. I would like to here from anybody who thinks either of these incidents were my fault! Waiting for the flak! Ade Subject: Women drivers
From: june@aol.com (JuneC1)
Date: 1998/04/17
Newsgroups: uk.current-events.general
I saw on the 6pm news to-nite that there will more women drivers within the
next 10 years. I'm not a car owner myself but what a frightening thought!!!
Watch out lads, the women will take over if us men are not careful !!!
Robert
"Your death is my living"
Subject: Re: Women drivers From: Tim M tm@bris.ac.uk Date: 1998/04/20 Newsgroups: uk.local.london On Sat, 18 Apr 1998, ANNA W wrote: > m@pai.win-uk.net (Martin W M B) put digits to keyboard and > typed: > > >another aol wanker -- wimmin are safeter drivers anyway >> > Say that after you've been in a car with me. :) > > > ANNA, who drives like a bloke :) Strange you should say that, I've often been told I drive like a girl -as in I indicate before I turn, and I (almost) stick to speed limits. I stick rigidly to speed limits when there's some ... um ... less patient driver following me about 3 inches from my bumper. Sometimes Slow down to 28 mph.Oh, what a fun life I lead ... Tim (tm)Tim M,
Subject: Re: Women drivers From: jun@aol.com (June1) Date: 1998/04/24Message-ID: Newsgroups: uk.local.london In article <3540349b.449541@news.demon.co.uk>, an@war.de.MY_BRA.mon.co.uk (ANNA W) writes: >Let me get this straight. Women have fewer accidents but aren't safer >drivers. That's true. I sometimes travel with a women driver and she breaks the odd rule in the Highway Code book. Mostly speeding!!! I also find that women drivers donor change behind the wheel of a car and become demons on the road unlike men drivers. Or do they?? Robert Back to DrDriving's Selection of Topics on Women Drivers
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