Buckle up: Women can drive too!

"Women don’t drive well because driving a car involves a ‘logical’ approach to it", said one of the male...

Jibran Khan July 30, 2012
Women are just not good at driving a car (or at least, that’s how the stereotype goes). An extensive BBC research suggests that women’s ‘lack of hormones’ could be a strong reason why they are able to judge the road with more accuracy than men. 

Feminism strongly retaliates against this notion by stating that this belief is only a byproduct of male chauvinism in the society.

To settle this dispute, we decided to ask female and male drivers about their experiences behind the wheel.

I started off with the most obvious question that is on everyone’s mind:
Do you think men are better drivers than women?

Even though the women took a diplomatic approach to this question, stating that women are just as good, men were incredibly harsh with their responses:
“Of course men are better drivers than women!”

Or:
“Women don’t drive well because driving a car involves a ‘logical’ approach to it.”

The second answer struck a chord not only with my female coworker but, I, myself was taken aback by it. I strongly disagree with any form of biological inferiority when it comes to different genders (or races for that matter).
Would you feel comfortable in the passenger seat with a female driver?

“Absolutely not!” replied the male driver quite bluntly.

For my male subjects, the reason was simple; women lack confidence. They cannot make decisions on their own and keep pestering them to instruct what to do next. But the other male subject was subsequently less harsh this time around, stating that:
“If I know the driver personally and have experienced her driving skills then I’m comfortable”.

One of the female drivers brought an interesting notion to the forefront. She admitted that whenever female driving skills are good, people state:
“She’s as good as a male driver!”

This statement enhances the notion of ‘women can’t drive’ further into obscurity.
Have there been any bad experiences that you might have encountered with female drivers?

Women drivers mostly responded with a ‘yes’, but one of them also clarified:
“Whenever women get into a car accident, everything is blown out of proportion.”

I full heartily agree with this statement but have also had my share of bad driving experiences with female drivers.

To end the segment, I had one more question in mind;
Do you think women becoming better drivers is the answer?

A simple answer from women:
“Everyone needs to become a better driver.”

The male sought out a different answer to this by clarifying that many women feel pressured by their male counterparts, which discourages them to continue driving, and improving in the near future.

I, however, feel that if a driver is able manoeuvre a car well, he/she qualifies as a good driver, regardless of their gender.

Read more by Jibran here. 
WRITTEN BY:
Jibran Khan An independent filmmaker who has worked on numerous short films and has taught Film Theory at Szabist University. Currently he is studying Media Arts and Design at the Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany. Follow his Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSdyPZ_htZng0Ec-2cmlgg
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (38)

M | 11 years ago | Reply @Hardliner: I'd rather make a stupid mistake than cause a fatal accident.
p r sharma | 11 years ago | Reply @NorthernLights: women are bad driver in the sense that in cities where, there is traffic congestion ,at most of the roads, they will continue to drive slowly9 without changing the lanes- where lane system exists) despite the road ahead is clear and empty and causes the irritation to vehicles trailing behind. .
VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ