Are women bad drivers?
I am a woman, and I drive. When people ask me whether I drive, I say yes, subconsciously trying to sound casual, often sounding smug I suppose.
The fact is that I run errands: drop kids at their tuition classes, do on and off shopping for just one ingredient that ran out when I was trying to cook something with it, drive the family to church when my husband is not around etc. Of course, I also drive to my workplace. The distance that I drive is within about 4 to 5 kilometers radius.
I don’t drive the ‘really important’ drives, you see.
What I mean by ‘really important’ drives is such as taking the family on a trip or to church every Sunday, drive to a dinner party and so on. If my husband is available, the unspoken understanding is that he will drive.
Sometimes I wonder why.
Just the other day, I overheard two men discussing a road accident. Apparently the driver had lost control and hit a tree. The second man commented that the driver must have been a woman.
I have heard this many times. Sometimes accompanied by a sigh and a resigned look from the man who passes such a comment.
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Are women bad drivers?
I can only speak for myself. I feel that I am a bad driver because a) I am not confident about driving long distances because of lack of practice driving long distances c) I am so involved in my kids’ lives and household affairs that I tend to be preoccupied most of the time, which may translate to absentmindedness which is not a virtue while driving d) I have no idea how to change a punctured tyre or any such minor issues that often seems to happen exactly when I am driving.
If these issues are addressed, i.e., if I had more practice in driving long distances, if my husband was as involved in the kids’ lives and household affairs, and if I learnt how to remedy minor car problems, is there anything that stands in the way of me being a good driver?
Oh yes, it seems there is.
You see, women are hormonal creatures, says a male friend of mine. Because of our menstrual cycles, we go through mood swings and what not. This can affect our judgment. So the argument goes.
Oh I see.
Well, my hormones cannot be taken out of me.
Therefore it seems like I will always be a bad driver.
Maybe I should wait for menopause in order to become a good driver!
