Women's brains 'make them safer drivers'

November 07, 2005

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A DIFFERENCE in the way women's brains work could explain why they have fewer road accidents than men.

Insurance companies recognise women as safer drivers and adjust their premiums accordingly.

Men, on the other hand, pride themselves at being better at parking and reading maps.

Sex hormones could be the reason for their different abilities, scientists believe.

A new study by researchers at the University of Bradford found that women are significantly better than men at shifting concentration. Amarylis Fox, who helped to conduct the study, said: "Women seem to realise that they are being asked to do something new much more quickly than men.

"Men tend to blindly carry on with the original task.

"The results have clear implications. Basically, women were twice as good at realising they had to change tasks as men."

The report says women behind the wheel were likely to be quicker to switch focus to deal with an unexpected event - such as a car pulling out in front of them, or a blown out tyre on a motorway.

"Men are supposed to be better at spatial tasks, such as parking," said Ms Fox.

"The male hormone testosterone is supposed to aid spatial awareness. But insurance companies still think women are less risky on the road.

"Being able to switch attention between different things while driving is obviously going to help.

"It's especially true when driving on a motorway, which can be very dull and tedious. Your mind tends to get stuck on the same track. Our test, in its limited way, shows that women in that kind of situation can change their train of thought faster.

"Just as testosterone boosts spatial judgment in men, the female hormone oestrogen may be responsible for the attention-switching ability of women."

Sharp

Previous research has shown that women show sharp improvements in certain mental tasks when their oestrogen level peaks, for instance at specific times in the menstrual cycle.

The same trend has been seen in women on HRT.

The experiment involved 43 men and women who were asked to respond to images flashed up on a computer screen. AA safety boss Andrew Howard said: "Motorway hypnosis is a well known problem - you switch off and become slow to react. But because of the driving habits of men and women, it's not easy to assess.

"Men do more motorway driving while women tend to contend with the more difficult conditions in town centres, often having to deal with children as well."

In 2003, male motorists in the UK were involved in 182,000 injury accidents, compared with only 98,000 women.

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Ricky G, Whitefield (07/11/2005 at 10:04)

Of course it could all be a load of tosh..."In 2003, male motorists in the UK were involved in 182,000 injury accidents, compared with only 98,000 women".
Further research would no doubt reveal that men on average drive twice as far a year as the ladies.
Therefore the 182000 injury accidents are the same as 98 000 women accidents.

Statistics can be twisted to say anything.

Paul, Bury (07/11/2005 at 11:39)

" Previous research has shown that women show sharp improvements in certain mental tasks when their oestrogen level peaks" Hmmm. To put it another way, "research has shown that women show sharp declines in certain mental tasks when their oestrogen level falls" Why do we mollycoddle women by spinning science in this way. Are they equal or not ?

Max Speed, Manchester (07/11/2005 at 13:18)

The woman that drove her car at me, whilst she was driving the wrong way along a slip road on the Mancunian Way must have a very big brain indeed !!

Ray, Manchester (07/11/2005 at 15:27)

Well there is some truth in what you say about "statistics" Ricky, but how do you account for the fact that 90 per cent of driving offences are caused by men? In 2002 men committed 97 per cent of dangerous driving offences, 94 per cent of offences causing death or bodily harm, 89 per cent of drink or drug driving offences, 85 per cent of careless driving offences, 83 per cent of speeding offences, 84 per cent of offences involving neglect of traffic signs and directions or of pedestrian rights and 77 per cent of obstruction, waiting and parking offences. (Source: Home Office/DfT).

Lady, Manchester (07/11/2005 at 17:18)

I work in car insurance; we're told that women tend to have lots of smaller accidents and men have fewer, but larger ones when they do.

I'm not entirely convinced by this women-are-best thing. I read some terrifying article in a ladies' mag's 'embarrassing stories' section where we were expected to laugh at the tale of a woman who would put her contact lenses in - rinsing her hands in solution, sticking them on one finger, peering in the rear view mirror to poke herself in the eye with them one at a time, going back for the other (y'know, in case you don't wear lenses) - all while driving down the motorway.

daxxer, stockport (07/11/2005 at 22:54)

Yeah right

Only when they are driving a Suburban Ussault Vehicle (deliberate typo) and using the whitelines down the carriageway a a guide so they can go in a straight line whilst talking on a mobile to the boyfriend/husband/babysitter/hairdresser/personal trainer et al. Come down to SK9 and 10 and you'll see what I mean

Rob Lawrence, Eccles (08/11/2005 at 07:50)

As a victim who got rammed from behind by a woman driver when I was forced to apply the emergency braking procedure to avoid an accident, I strongly disagree!

carl, Cardiff (08/11/2005 at 20:47)

Does anyone really believe this rubbish? If women actually were better drivers than men how come there are no women making a name for themselves in formula 1 and rallying? And before some smart ass comes up with a couple of names in either sport, I am not talking about some woman who came 35th in a field of 35!
The ladies, in my experience are absolutely bloody useless behind the wheel! For every competent female driver there are probably a thousand who are actually bloody dangerous! I know, I've been cut up by enough of them! I don't really care who I offend in making my opinions known, women on the whole are crap at driving. Don't listen to all that leftie, politically correct spin. Most women will do something outright bloody dangerous and not even be aware of what they've done. My girlfriend travels in my car with me most days, ask her who she thinks causes most problems on the road and she'll tell you, WOMEN!

Judith, Gt Manchester (08/11/2005 at 21:09)

'In 2002 men committed 97 per cent of dangerous driving offences, 94 per cent of offences causing death or bodily harm, 89 per cent of drink or drug driving offences, 85 per cent of........ ' Did you miss it somehow guys?!

ripley jones, colorado, usa (08/11/2005 at 23:03)

Insurance rates are a bunch of bs. If the stats were reversed and showed women caused more accidents and their rates were higher they would claim sexual discrimination. Just because there are stats to back it up there is no excuses for charging different isnurace rates based on sex alone.

Girl Racer, SoCal (09/11/2005 at 22:49)

Women may multitask and change tasks better, but skill with spacial relationships is also relevant to driving skill. For example, a driver may quickly dodge an obstacle in the road but ram into another car in the process. Quick reactions are just one factor in driving skill. The more relevant factor is whether you're on the cell phone and too busy to signal or check your blind spot or notice the lights change...

Bruce, Lancs (10/11/2005 at 14:38)

Those of us with eyes in our head know that most of the excessive speeding and tailgating and rapid acceleration (from a stationary position or whatever, such as at traffic lights) is invariably always males. Agreed guys?

Judith, Gt Manchester (10/11/2005 at 16:24)

In the article it says that male and female motorists were "involved in" etc. "Involved in"? It doesn't say were 'responsible for' (each of the given number of injury accidents ). Maybe that's what it DOES mean, but I don't think so, because it would say 'responsible for' if that is what was meant, and not "involved in". But if the figures which Ray quotes are anything to go by, then males are causing the vast majority of the "injury accidents" - ie collisions and crashes - that women are "involved in".

Paula Wynburne, Belfast (23/12/2005 at 02:43)

Perhaps men are so used to being right and getting things as off right they find it hard to back down and take any other driver with attitude as a direct challenge to them and their manhood. Women don't believe they are better (because it's not actually a competition anyway) and are used to coping with more things at once.

T Brewer, Hastings (23/12/2005 at 21:05)

If you look at the DfT statistics regarding road deaths by age and gender, you will see that almost three times as many males were killed compared to females. But in the 15-19 age group - and bear in mind that people are not eligible to drive until they are seventeen, and that they don't acquire a full licence until they are seventeen or eighteen or older - there were almost four times as many males killed as there were females. In the 20-29 age group there were five-and-a half times as many males killed compared to females, and in the 30-39 age group there were five times as many males killed. In the 40-49 age group it was four times as many, and in the 50-59 age group three times as many. Even taking into account that there are more male drivers than females (approximately one-third more in fact*) and that men tend to do more mileage per annum than women (approximately one-third more*), there are still two-three times as many males being killed in these age groups. (*Source DfT also).

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