WOMEN DRIVERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 36, 5 November 1937, Page 7

WOMEN DRIVERS

Safer Than Men in Brilain WHAT STATISTICS SHOW Women — in 'Amerlca — Jx^vb «^in proyed to be worse car drivera thanj men. But what fif women drivers in, Britainf (asks an English writgr.) I set out to discover the truth, aftet receiving the American report made by experts after a long and careful series of testg in evexy Stftte. This report »hpws that the American woman driver is ah inf erior mcmber oi the motoring public; except for three good qualities: She cau Tsee out of tho coraer of hpi eye better than a man, she cau distinguish the colour of traffic lights more quickly, and she drives mere slowly. Sq what pf thp average British woman drivprf Hoeg she aJsQ take secpnd placet J studie'd her methods in large and small towns and the main conclusion reached is that aho takCS fewer rigks than men. Statistics show that the number of women driyers invplved in accidents is small cgmpared with the large nujnbers pf crashps jn which men are concerned. Thia ig.jn prppojtipn to the numbers of drivefg of each gex. Men handle their cars with greater ease and snreness and give their signs with greater confldence, so that the driver behind feels he knowa exactly what they are going to do. Man take greater risks, a habit bred, perhaps, by the sureness with which they handle the wheel. Women drive, on the whole, more slowly, but, because of the extra care they take, are often hesitant. They edge a few inohes out in the . roadj as if they are coming on to the crowfi— not far enough to be dangerous, but far enough to make drivers behind slow down. I appealed t0 the Antqmobile Association, and was told that speed and Obstruction pffences are about equally distributed among men and women. But men accpunt for nearly alj the dangerous driving and pther perious offeneps, From their 100,000 women members they have had this year more than 200,000 requests for itineraries. Most asked for roads patrolled by A.A. men, which suggests that women know less about their. cars than men and do not like the idea of being stranded wher4 ,'help is not at hand, —