The topic of driving has long been a hotbed of misogynistic tropes, which is why I take special glee in telling anybody who’ll listen that, according to scientific studies, women are superior drivers to men, and insurance premiums for female drivers reflect this the world over.
Insurers have found that, in general, women are more cautious and more calculated on the road, leading to fewer accidents and outpourings of road rage, and greater vehicular longevity; we are more successful at evading speeding fines and, in general, insurers are more confident in women’s proficiency behind the wheel.
But, as women, we’ve also been conditioned to believe that we can’t drive as well as men, and this pervasive messaging has an impact on how women drivers perform under pressure.
According to Confused.com, a UK-based financial service comparison platform, studies have indicated that women generally fail their driving tests for the first time more often than men do.
However, once they are licensed to drive, women typically demonstrate better road sense, are less likely to break the law, less likely to drive drunk, less likely to exceed speed limits, and more likely to indicate and signal consistently in keeping with the rules of the road.
