So who are the better drivers: men or women?

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!