Women drivers beat men in test behind the wheel trying to get round Hyde Park Corner

 
Battle of the sexes: a new study has suggested women are better drivers (Picture: Rex)
Alexandra Rucki15 May 2015

A new survey has suggested women are better at driving than men.

The research, conducted by Privilege Insurance, found women outscored males in in-car tests and also when observed anonymously at busy London junction Hyde Park Corner.

But the study found only 28 per cent of women believed they were better behind the wheel than men, with only 13 per cent of men thinking women were better drivers.

A sample of 50 drivers faced in-car assessment while 200 were watched at Hyde Park Corner. Marked on 14 different aspects of driving, women scored 23.6 points out of a possible 30, while men managed to chalk up only 19.8 points.

On one of the categories - tailgating - just 4 per cent of women but 27 per cent of men drove too close to the vehicle in front.

People's views on their driving skills differed dramatically from their actual skills. When asked if they thought they drove at the appropriate speed for the situation, 84 per cent of men claimed they regularly did, which was in contrast to the 64 per cent that actually did.

Nearly half of men approached hazards too fast, compared with only a quarter of women, while more than half of men drove through an amber light when it was turning to red, compared to just 14 per cent of women.

Just one per cent of women, but 14 per cent of men, cut into traffic dangerously, while 24 per cent of men, but only 16 per cent of women, admitted to using hand-held mobiles while at the wheel.

More men than women also admitted not indicating if they thought there was no one driving behind them.

On courtesy on the roads, women had the edge too, with 39 per cent always polite to other drivers, compared to just 28% of men.

The non-driving part of the survey involved 1,383 drivers.

Driving instructor Neil Beeson, who organised the tests for Privilege, said: "I was quite surprised by the results, because in my experience men have always been the best learners and usually performed better in lessons. However, it's possible that women have retained the information better.

"What this report shows is that men need to give their female counterparts their due when it comes to driving. The facts don't lie."

Charlotte Fielding, head of car insurance at Privilege, said: "The research has shown that there is a really big discrepancy between how men think they drive and how they actually drive."

Additional reporting Press Association.

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