Women have walked in tandem with men in every walk of life. Be it raising kids or running a business, they have triumphed it all. In fact, there are some areas where, we dare say, women are even better than men, such as multitasking. And given that men are involved in more life-threatening road accidents than women of all ages; it would seem natural that women would be considered better drivers than men.
But sadly, it’s the other way around as women are labeled as being bad drivers. But where does this stereotype come from? And is there any truth in it?
Let’s find out.
Women on Roads
Like most basic human rights that women have had to fight for, driving is no exception. In fact, there are certain parts of the world where women weren’t allowed to drive until recently. That’s right, countries like Saudi Arabia had deprived women of driving rights until last year when they were finally ‘allowed’ to do what men have been doing for years!
As a result of this blatant oppression, women aren’t as naturally disposed to driving as men are. In addition to this, since women’s driving rights are evaluated as privileges, women have been conditioned to fear that they might lose them if they don’t measure up to the unreal standards that are set for them.
Low Self-Esteem
According to a recently published study, there’s no difference in the driving skills of male and female beginners. However, an astounding discovery made during the study showed that female novice drivers in driving schools had low self-confidence compared to their male counterparts.
Upon digging further, scholars were able to link this lack of self-esteem in female drivers to the impact of gender, organized athletics, and video gaming. Since males are more prone to playing video games and are more involved in sports activities, they develop the self-confidence of being able to take charge, which young girls are often deprived of.
The Stereotype Keeps Solidifying
The most devastating effect of the stereotype that women are bad drivers is on young girls who have impressionable minds. Repeatedly joking about women not knowing how to drive or mocking their driving skills even before they have put them to use doesn’t just break their spirit but also conditions them into believing into the stereotype.
As a result of this, young female drivers feel inferior and end up making mistakes on the road because the anxiety of not being good enough is always there at the back of their mind.
At Champions Driving School in Houston and Pinehurst, we treat all our young learners and frown upon any stereotypes that might implicate that women can’t drive. So, if you have a young driver eager to learn, get in touch with us, because we offer quality drivers’ education and defensive driving courses for both, adults and teens!
