In the famous song "I Can Do Anything Better Than You" (from the musical "Annie Get Your Gun)" gunslingers Annie Oakley and Frank Butler lyrically debated who could shoot more accurately: she or he?
This same argument has been waged many times about many topics over the years, but no gender-related discussion has been more heated than the one that rages behind the wheel. So who are better drivers: men or women?
From my albeit half hour internet research, it seems that the auto insurance industry experts would agree with the theory that men, especially young men, tend to drive more aggressively than women and display their aggression in a direct manner, rather than indirectly. It would also appear that male drivers are more likely than women to break the law, and the male of the species tends to be more of a risk-taker.
But guys, when it rains it pours. The most recent Home Office figures (June 2009) show that over the past five years male drivers have accounted for 94% of all car accidents involving death or injury in the UK; 97% of all dangerous driving convictions; 89% of all drink and drug driving convictions; 83% of all speeding convictions; and 85% of all careless driving convictions. This is despite the fact that the male-to-female ratio of drivers is reported to be a 55:45 split where, according to these government statistics, men drive further than women, averaging around 8,000 miles a year compared with 6,300 for women.
So, given all of that you would think that women would be a better risk for the insurers than men, yet women over the age of 30 are reported to still be charged more for car insurance then men. Well, it seems that us girls are getting more aggressive behind the wheel! The gap between the behaviour of male and female drivers is narrowing, and for a variety of reasons.
The ladette culture which encourages aggressive behaviour is partly behind the trend, perhaps along with more stressful and successful female careers. Some women do drive in a similar way to men and that's often because they have the same jobs, are faced with the same pressure and are driving the same powerful cars. They also have the family pressures that many women still have and although that shouldn't be reflected in people's driving behaviour, it often is. People take their stress and inhibitions with them behind the wheel. I know I do.
Aside from the statistical argument, we often see survey after survey conducted about the female versus male driver, usually faring favourably towards the latter. In my view these surveys are merely publicity stunts in order to get the company that backed the survey mentioned in the media.
I remember a rather amusing one I read a couple of years ago which, from memory, referred to us girls as “dashboard dunces” because many of the women surveyed were unable to identify common warning lights. But as I recall the blokes didn't fare too well either. Personally, I think that the + 70% of women (or whatever the figure was) who were able to identify the oil pressure gauge was damned good!
The thing is, I could go out in the street right now and do a survey where I could show a bunch of men pictures of different washing machines and ask them what the symbols meant. No doubt you get where this is leading.....
So are women better drivers than men? It's hard to say, although it appears that they do seem to be statistically safer. My own personal experience is that all the men I know in my life are better at reversing and parking than I am and they are definitely more confident than me. And women do seem to have just as many accidents as men. However, women tend to have minor bumps in comparison, where men on the other hand tend to do the job properly when they crash!
On this occasion, even though it's a blow to the male ego and I'm never going to hear the end of it from my boys, I'll have to give this round to women. Sorry fellas!
Thursday 28 January 2010
Friday 22 January 2010
Car accessories heading for the evolutionary scrap heap
Extinction. It’s a harsh, emotive word but the process it describes is, in my view, a necessary one.
In the animal kingdom natural selection dictates that those that are either passengers, evolutionary dead ends, or furry little good-for-nothings usually die off if they can’t compete against those creatures that are better adapted.
And so it is in this automotive world in which I now find myself. The weak car models, feeble features, and shabby accessories eventually get stuck in the mud and won’t be heard of again....until some scientist with a pickaxe unearths their fossilised remains and gives them a long Latin name such as "window winduperus"!
With animals, the threat of extinction isn’t always their fault - sometimes their habitat disappears, they die off from pollutants, or else, as is the case with our friend the red squirrel, they have to slug it out with introduced species that have an unfair leg-up.
With cars, generally, the feature that falls by the wayside does so because something better has come along. Features and accessories like chokes, cigarette lighters, lap-only seatbelts, manual window winders and cassette players are all but extinct, while car keys, spare tyres, street maps and even CD players are on the endangered list. With the introduction of Bluetooth and Smartphones even in-car phone kits (which often leave holes in the dash) are on their way out.
Of course there are those annoying little technological enhancements which, despite most being relatively new, in my opinion should already be on my evolutionary scrap heap. These include (in no particular order): seat belt warning chimes, rain sensor wipers (they always go wrong!); nitrogen filled tyres (don't get me started on their environmental impact...); and mirrors on sun visors - particularly those without covers - which let's face it are only ever used for women applying make-up, guys shaving or reapplying their hair gel, teeth pickers, and nose explorers!
On writing this blog, I decided to ask my mechanics what features they'd like to see meet their maker.....I think it's going to be a long day.
In the animal kingdom natural selection dictates that those that are either passengers, evolutionary dead ends, or furry little good-for-nothings usually die off if they can’t compete against those creatures that are better adapted.
And so it is in this automotive world in which I now find myself. The weak car models, feeble features, and shabby accessories eventually get stuck in the mud and won’t be heard of again....until some scientist with a pickaxe unearths their fossilised remains and gives them a long Latin name such as "window winduperus"!
With animals, the threat of extinction isn’t always their fault - sometimes their habitat disappears, they die off from pollutants, or else, as is the case with our friend the red squirrel, they have to slug it out with introduced species that have an unfair leg-up.
With cars, generally, the feature that falls by the wayside does so because something better has come along. Features and accessories like chokes, cigarette lighters, lap-only seatbelts, manual window winders and cassette players are all but extinct, while car keys, spare tyres, street maps and even CD players are on the endangered list. With the introduction of Bluetooth and Smartphones even in-car phone kits (which often leave holes in the dash) are on their way out.
Of course there are those annoying little technological enhancements which, despite most being relatively new, in my opinion should already be on my evolutionary scrap heap. These include (in no particular order): seat belt warning chimes, rain sensor wipers (they always go wrong!); nitrogen filled tyres (don't get me started on their environmental impact...); and mirrors on sun visors - particularly those without covers - which let's face it are only ever used for women applying make-up, guys shaving or reapplying their hair gel, teeth pickers, and nose explorers!
On writing this blog, I decided to ask my mechanics what features they'd like to see meet their maker.....I think it's going to be a long day.
Monday 18 January 2010
A murky green scrappage scheme!
Trade in your old banger and you get £2,000 in cash. This, now extended, scheme has no doubt boosted UK car sales over the past 8 months it has been in place, though it appears to have done little to help UK car manufacturers. I can’t see too many rusty old Escorts being towed into Bentley, Land Rover or Aston Martin dealerships.
The move has also been promoted as an environmental initiative, just as it is in America where a scrappage scheme (or 'cash for clunkers' as it is now more commonly known) was, albeit slowly, steered through Congress. The car industry regularly pretends that trading in your old car for a new one is the automotive equivalent of planting a field of daisies.
Now I’m sorry, but the idea of scrapping a perfectly good used car is just plain wasteful, and many of my customers just simply can't afford a new car even with the £2,000 cash incentive. I’ve never bought this bogus argument that it’s greener to regularly buy a new car than it is to hang on to a cherished old timer. Nothing is more environmentally irresponsible than our throwaway culture. If you still like your old car, and it provides noble service, than keep it – no matter what bribes the government may be offering.
Besides, when it comes to research on the ‘whole-life’ energy costs of cars, I would go as far as saying the motor industry is, to paraphrase Churchill, pedalling a lie wrapped in a falsehood inside a fib.
The industry usually claims that the total amount of energy a car consumes throughout its life (and energy consumption is closely linked to CO2 emissions) works out at something like 80% in use (burning fuel) and 20% in manufacturing. So, the industry claims, buying a new car (as long as it’s more fuel economical) helps the planet.
Okay, so my figures are very average, based on a quick 10 minute stats research exercise on Google, but in my opinion where it's 80:20 or 70:30 or whatever, these figures are...skewed. The manufacturing numbers seem to be largely restricted to the energy consumed...at their own factories...during manufacturing and assembly. So they don't include energy used by, for example, their numerous suppliers, total shipping costs (in freighters using carbon-dense marine diesel by the way!) or road freight for all the myriad parts that constitute a modern car. They also do not appear to include the energy consumed by their own workforce commuting to their factories and offices, or the energy used to mine and then transport the raw materials. I'm sure I could think of more, but I trust you get my point.
Add all this up and the environmental picture is a lot hazier. By all means, buy your new car – complete with £2,000 cashback – and enjoy it. There are some great bargains out there, and even one of my mechanics has taken advantage of the scheme. There’s never been a better time to buy. But just don’t pretend you’re doing the Earth any favours!
The move has also been promoted as an environmental initiative, just as it is in America where a scrappage scheme (or 'cash for clunkers' as it is now more commonly known) was, albeit slowly, steered through Congress. The car industry regularly pretends that trading in your old car for a new one is the automotive equivalent of planting a field of daisies.
Now I’m sorry, but the idea of scrapping a perfectly good used car is just plain wasteful, and many of my customers just simply can't afford a new car even with the £2,000 cash incentive. I’ve never bought this bogus argument that it’s greener to regularly buy a new car than it is to hang on to a cherished old timer. Nothing is more environmentally irresponsible than our throwaway culture. If you still like your old car, and it provides noble service, than keep it – no matter what bribes the government may be offering.
Besides, when it comes to research on the ‘whole-life’ energy costs of cars, I would go as far as saying the motor industry is, to paraphrase Churchill, pedalling a lie wrapped in a falsehood inside a fib.
The industry usually claims that the total amount of energy a car consumes throughout its life (and energy consumption is closely linked to CO2 emissions) works out at something like 80% in use (burning fuel) and 20% in manufacturing. So, the industry claims, buying a new car (as long as it’s more fuel economical) helps the planet.
Okay, so my figures are very average, based on a quick 10 minute stats research exercise on Google, but in my opinion where it's 80:20 or 70:30 or whatever, these figures are...skewed. The manufacturing numbers seem to be largely restricted to the energy consumed...at their own factories...during manufacturing and assembly. So they don't include energy used by, for example, their numerous suppliers, total shipping costs (in freighters using carbon-dense marine diesel by the way!) or road freight for all the myriad parts that constitute a modern car. They also do not appear to include the energy consumed by their own workforce commuting to their factories and offices, or the energy used to mine and then transport the raw materials. I'm sure I could think of more, but I trust you get my point.
Add all this up and the environmental picture is a lot hazier. By all means, buy your new car – complete with £2,000 cashback – and enjoy it. There are some great bargains out there, and even one of my mechanics has taken advantage of the scheme. There’s never been a better time to buy. But just don’t pretend you’re doing the Earth any favours!
Friday 15 January 2010
Job for the girls!
I am not surprised that few females seem to have the motor industry at the top of their dream career list when they leave school. Many see either 'garage mechanic' or 'car sales' jobs as being 'just for the boys' and few job ads in the motor industry seem to be written with girls in mind.
But I think women might be missing a trick here because a job in a good independent garage or franchised car dealership can offer excellent prospects for females who are willing to work hard, learn new skills and stand up and be counted in what is often a male-oriented workplace to begin with.
In a nutshell there is no real reason why a job in the motor industry shouldn't be as popular with women as one in fashion or beauty for example, especially now that the motor industry is becoming serious about providing a female friendly working environment - and there is extra funding for training to help more women climb the career ladder.
My experience is that the recession has encouraged a growing number of leading good garages commit to making their businesses more female friendly in future and those that are planning to recruit in 2010 recognise that female staff could help them do a better job for women customers.
So my message to women who are looking for a job in 2010 is a simple one. Don't ignore motor industry job vacancies simply because you think that men rule the roost here. Times are changing fast and there will be interesting job vacancies and training opportunities that are equally available for women in this industry just as soon as the UK economy starts to recover.
But I think women might be missing a trick here because a job in a good independent garage or franchised car dealership can offer excellent prospects for females who are willing to work hard, learn new skills and stand up and be counted in what is often a male-oriented workplace to begin with.
In a nutshell there is no real reason why a job in the motor industry shouldn't be as popular with women as one in fashion or beauty for example, especially now that the motor industry is becoming serious about providing a female friendly working environment - and there is extra funding for training to help more women climb the career ladder.
My experience is that the recession has encouraged a growing number of leading good garages commit to making their businesses more female friendly in future and those that are planning to recruit in 2010 recognise that female staff could help them do a better job for women customers.
So my message to women who are looking for a job in 2010 is a simple one. Don't ignore motor industry job vacancies simply because you think that men rule the roost here. Times are changing fast and there will be interesting job vacancies and training opportunities that are equally available for women in this industry just as soon as the UK economy starts to recover.
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