Ray Bradbury comments that women drivers are better than men and he does have some points. He should visit here to see there are guys that can drive.

Bradbury notes that men as a whole drive worse because they are competive. I don't see many reckless female drivers and neither do insurance companies. He also notes that men tend to be more selfish - vehicles are a possession.

I'd like to think the guys at GreenHybrid are redirecting their maleness to fuel economy instead of speed.

Bradbury's article

 

I agree with the "redirecting their maleness to fuel economy" part for sure.

I think "competetiveness" on the highway is purely Testosterone driven, separate from other types of competetiveness. For example, when I play board games or cards or tag football, I'm ABSOLUTELY just as competetive as I was when I was 20 years old.

But on the road now, driving a hybrid, I still get irritated by people who are zooming around, but I certainly do not feel the urge to compete with anyone.

 

Everytime that I've witnessed some form of aggressive, outrageous driving it's always a male driver. Usually in a pickup or SUV.

Since Hurricane Katrina, the traffic load in Baton Rouge has doubled, and wild drivers are out in force.

Regards,

 

One of the themes of the original Star Trek was how strong Mr. Spock was with a disciplined, controlled mind. I like that measure of a man as it disqualifies the idiots hawkGT647 pointed out.

 

speaking as a female, i find it SO sexy when men are more into economy than speed.....

ok, now that i am done being silly, i find one group of females who, if they are not exactly into aggression, are into stupid driving. they usually are fairly young and drive something low like a grand am or similar. i get passed by a lot of them, after they tailgate for a while. i think they just don't know better.......but indeed, the are in the minority, when it comes to loud pipes and wearing a hat backwards.

 

There has been a documented trend of young women starting to behave more like their male peers behind the wheel (maybe the men are likewise becoming more sensitive? lol). A higher % of and more severe accidents, tickets, etc involving young females, compared to a generation ago. On average still safer drivers than the males, but the gap is narrowing. (disclaimer as a male: I am NOT trying to call women 'lousy drivers' in the stereotyped sense.)

Call it part of a mixed blessing of being the 2nd generation to come of age since womens' lib, Title IX school sports, EEO, and the general opening of society to a more unisex stance in general. As in so many other arenas, a leveled playing field results in gradual homogenization between two formerly very different groups. Not a bad thing on balance, just a change.

Several insurance companies have reduced or even eliminated the difference between young male & female drivers. The bottom line is their driving force- can't get much more unbiased data than that.

 

That's called being an adult. The ability to suppress ego for the greater good when necessary. The ability to consciously decide how to react in a particular situation and not let impulsiveness take over when not appropriate.

Too bad there are so many child drivers...

 

This is off topic, but the above quote brings Terrell Owens to mind.

 

The gap is narrowing, but it might have never been there in the first place -- insurance companies didn't have the detailed data they needed or the computing power to effectively analyze it in the past.

As insurance companies get more detailed data and the computing power to analyze it and regulatory & competitive pressure to act on that analysis, they refine their pricing structure. For some of the more finely divided groups there is a gap.

For example, there might (still) be a big difference for

18 year old single females on their own policy vs 18 year old single males on their own policy

but there might not be a big difference for

18 year old single females who are "occasional operators" of vehicles on their parents' policy vs 18 year old single males who are "occasional operators" of vehicles on their parents' policy

 

After (Age regardless) males in large pick-up trucks, around here the next bracket for bad drivers are soccer moms in giant SUVs/minivans and then teen girls in their cars, right across the board, in my experience.

Just this week I was nearly hit twice by a woman in a Durango, talking on the phone while trying her hardest to weave her way through traffic to hurry up to that red light up ahead. I don't mean that sarcastically either. The light was red as we approached it, and red when we stopped at it. It was mid-afternoon, and traffic was heavy, and there she was, trying to weave around the cars slowing down for the red light, and she was jumping back and forth to get there ASAP!

I suppose, prehybrid, I'd probably fit into the group that Bradbury was chastizing, but posthybrid? Not a chance. I'll admit I'm possessive of it, but that's it from his list of vices. Though perhaps I do, as I'm competitive for my FE.