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Female drivers more nervous with their partner in the car

By Tim Beissmann |

The majority of female drivers say they feel more nervous and anxious when their partner is also in the car, according to the results of a survey by UK insurance company Aviva.

 

The research revealed women are less likely to get behind the wheel when in the car with their partner, often because of a lack of confidence in their own driving ability. In total, 43 per cent of men identify themselves as “the driver” in the relationship (the one who does the majority of the trips) compared with just 10 per cent of women.

It seems men do not feel the same levels of self-consciousness, however, and 10 per cent admit they actually drive more carefully when in the car with their partner.

Adding to female drivers’ lower confidence levels is the revelation that nine per cent of men ban their partners from driving their car. More than a quarter of those believe their car is too powerful for their female partner, and one in five say it’s because they are a better driver than their partner. One in six men do not believe their partner is competent at parking.

Blokes aren’t perfect according to the ladies, however. Thirteen per cent think their male partner is overconfident behind the wheel and one in 10 believes they drive recklessly or too fast.

An Aviva spokesperson encouraged couples to share driving in all conditions to ensure both sides kept their skills sharp.

Who’s ‘the driver’ in your family? Do you share the driving with your partner? Let us know in the comments section below.


 
  • Altezza

    That picture of woman…epic and priceless moment.

    • http://Caradvice The Salesman

      She has just seen a fantastic deal on shoes.

  • SkinnyMan

    when did we let woman start driving?

    • Peter

      the day that drink driving became illegal

  • Showtime

    I’m a male and I’m the driver in our relationship, whether it be a weekend cruise or car pooling to work. My girlfriend is just a crap driver (plays with her phone at the traffic lights, always braking late, speeding up to red lights, sitting in the right-lane).

    So yeah I prefer to drive cause I know what I’m doing

  • Laney

    Easy for me. My better half does not have a licence.

    Between my parents my old man does the driving when they are together. He is a truck driver and has more experience…… unless he has had a few beers :)

  • FrugalOne

    ~[most] females drive cars like they do a shopping trolley

    In general they are more interested in perming there ears, putting on lippy, flicking hair, iphone sms nonsense etc etc to worry about steering a vehicle in a safe and proper manner

    Then again i perve at milfs/girls as i drive along so pot-kettle-black!

  • Harry

    as soon as you start being aware of what they (not just women) are doing you’re bound to be critical of something, the best way around it is to completely switch off.

  • Tina Martin

    What a load of twaddle…..I’m talking about the majority of respondents to this article… Dear Blokes, have you ever stopped to think what it is like having someone sitting next to you who makes a comment/judgement about every move you make when driving…?? ie. put your blinker on…slow down…..speed up….watch that car….sit up straight….don’t grip the wheel…blah blah bark bark….

    The irony is the majority of men cannot for the life of them ask for directions….but feel they have the superiority to make judgements on someone else who is driving… Face it…men are control freaks who think it is their god given right to “offer suggestions”…

    • Peter

      I’ll offer you a suggestion – the correct spelling in that context is “judgments”. They are two different concepts.

    • scatman

      Id say the comment you would mostly get is shut your gob, looks like it flaps a bit.

    • TuffGuy

      I have always said if I am going to die it will be by my own hand and not someone else’s. Ergo if I am in a car I will generally drive.
      On the other side though my missus refuses to drive with me in the car and refuses to drive my WRX. She is a good driver but drives too slow and lacks confidence. Like most women too she lacks the ability and conceptual awareness to drive either hard or fast, hence why there are virtually no female racing drivers – they just cannot do it. Women also may well be able to multi-task but are unable to intensely focus on one. Sit down with a group of guys and they will talk about footy or cars or something for hours. Sit down with a group of women and the subject is changing every couple of minutes (because they can’t focus any longer), probably because of what they talk about, you know clothes, makeup, guys, etc, etc, blah, blah, jhibber, jibber, boooooring.
      So back to the real story this is why guys have to offer driving tips because the women lose focus.

  • http://CarAdvice The Salesman

    My wife is a brilliet driver as far as i know. She does most of the driving during the week.
    But when im in a car i am the driver. I just feel safer when i am in control.

  • Vince

    I drive quite sedately with the other half in the car, every now and then I’ll boot it a bit but she’s calm overall haha. I do most of the driving and I don’t care :)

  • mikeawesome

    Why isn’t this one in the kitchen? we don’t need more soccer mom’s on the road.

  • Steve

    Wow I’m absolutely appalled by all the sexist comments… Hang on… I’m a bloke… Where are all the women? Ps in the unlikely event my wife is reading this, you are the better driver!

    • scatman

      I doubt your your wife can read

      • Karl

        What is “your your wife”?

  • Peter

    I cant imagine what it is like for a woman to drive a car, just stabbing at pedals, pulling at wheels, knobs and levers whilst being utterly clueless as to the rhythm of all the wonderfully interdependent systems that, taken together, amount to a car and enable it to operate. Its a kind of natural law really, just as I honestly dont know one bloke who can knit, make quilts or sew beautiful garments. Of course none of the above means women arent better drivers than men, but the research clearly shows that is the view they have of themselves as drivers, otherwise why would they give a stuff what their partner thought?

  • http://www.ighbiroh.com geyser

    My wife is a good driver, drives about 30’000 km a year for her job. We share driving on long trips and I am able to ignore (for the most part) her different driving style. But she does spend some time giving other drivers little apologetic waves for her indiscretions.
    And she did sideswipe a concrete pillar at her office in her brand new A5 on the fist day she drove it… explanation and cause of the accident “the new car is too wide” (up 40mm on previous car!)

  • Pur

    I find it cute when female drivers give you the sh**t.. As if they know what their doing

  • Dangel

    Wow some insecure guys here , iam quite happy for my lady to drive with me in the co pilots seat , even when shes at the wheel of my GTI , very competent , likes to shuffle on out on the B roads , and one of the few who learnt to drive a manual , same as my daughter MX5 manual .