Next time you’re at a dinner party heatedly debating that old chestnut “who are better drivers – men or women?” make sure you have a little science up your sleeve. Statistics, as a chap is almost guaranteed to point out at some stage, can be made to prove anything – but scientific evidence is likely to leave them floored and floundering.
Remember the last time you were in a bit of a mood? Did your man mutter the word “hormones” under his breath before disappearing down the pub? Infuriating yes, but conclusive proof that he knows that they exist and can occasionally affect female behaviour (although in our estimation, socks on the floor and loo seats up have more of an effect).
So – here’s some really great news. Scientists at Bradford University have been looking into why exactly women are safer and better drivers than men. And yep, you guessed it, it’s hormonal.
Evidently, the female hormone oestrogen is responsible for ensuring that women have a greater attention span and a superior ability to learn rules than men do. What’s more – this essential bunch of chemicals has a big effect on the frontal lobe of the brain meaning that women generally are better at tasks involving mental flexibility. This means everyday tasks such as driving and reading are easier to perform for women than men.
Speaking at a Society for Endocrinology meeting, the scientists who conducted the research said, “This study demonstrates that tasks requiring mental flexibility favour women over men, an area previously not considered to elicit strong sex differences. Driving could be an example of how this is applied to everyday life.”
It’s long been clear that women are generally better at concentrating than men are – even as far back as in school. We are also capable of wrapping ourselves up in a book for an entire afternoon more readily than men are – unless of course the book has lots of pictures!
Although, other research in the past has suggested that certain driving tasks are harder for women to grasp, such as map reading or parking, due to a lack of testosterone (the male sex-hormone) in the womb – who cares? These minor difficulties are easy to overcome: ask someone for directions and find a largely empty car park. We’ve never suggested that we’re completely perfect after all!
But the fact remains that, whether they choose to like it or lump it, we are much better drivers than men – as any female orientated car insurance company will happily attest to.
Craig Handy from CoverGirl Car Insurance Services says that their company is not a bit surprised at the new scientific findings. “Our entire company is based around the fact that women are statistically better, and safer, drivers than men are. And the more research and surveys that are carried out simply adds to the proof. This is exactly why we can offer women of all ages really great deals on car insurance for women.”
It all seems to come down, yet again, to that superwoman keyword “multi-tasking!” Driving isn’t just about pressing down on the accelerator and dodging traffic – you need to keep your mind focused on more that one thing at a time. And since it’s very frequently been suggested that men only ever have one thing on their minds, it’s hardly surprising that we’re better drivers, is it?