My instructor is still on holiday, but I didn't want to let my small band of loyal readers down. Therefore I decided to observe how my nearest and dearest drive, and share my findings with you. Actually that's just an excuse. I'm a journalist, I'm nosy, and tend to spend my time people watching.
To protect my subjects, I won't name names. If you recognise yourself in one of my descriptions feel free to leave me a comment. Or just give me abuse in person, whichever you feel good about.
When I tested this idea on a friend he said: "write about women drivers"?. An unoriginal comment, but the person in question is a very good driver. Plus he regularly drives me around and rarely asks for anything in return, so I'll let him off.
He did however make me think about stereotypes, women drivers, boy racers etc.
I, like my mother, try to drive one-handed. Still, I don't subscribe to the idea that men are better drivers:
· Our insurance is far lower because we cause fewer accidents.
· Driving involves multi-tasking, a skill which women are supposed to be better at.
But really it's a question of the driver, not their gender.
When I was 14 my friend's older boyfriend drove like a boy on a mission, which I can only presume was to kill himself and his passengers. Speeding, braking late and wheel spins were all part of his repartee, accompanied by an incessant soundtrack of Eminem.
But most of my friends who fit into the boy-racer age bracket (17-25) drive very well. Despite some "I am master of the road"? slips, I feel safe in the passenger seat.
Another mis-represented driver is the blonde. My friend, who readily admits to being 'blonde inside and out', drove in bare feet last Saturday, but we still found our way to Yarm without a hitch. Another blonde friend admits to repeatedly circling a roundabout because she simply forgot where she was heading.
The point is such incidents do not reflect their normal driving technique.
Stereotypes exist because some bad drivers fit into such groups, which have become easy targets.
As a non-blonde with blonde tendencies, I take comfort in the fact that my friends are, mostly, very good drivers. They make occasional mistakes but usually they get from A to B with no problems.
Being slightly ditzy and easily distracted might not be the best credentials for a driver, but as long as I listen and learn, I think I can handle it.
Besides, I mastered shorthand in 20weeks, learning to drive is nothing.
First published on http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/gazette-communities/ts5-acklam-and-linthorpe/ on 17/5/07
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