Overcoming stereotypes female drivers face

FROM being told that they drive too slowly, will smash into inanimate objects, can’t park properly, and will never give a bly, driving as a woman in Jamaica comes with its own set of challenges. And while some of the stereotypes don’t impact the driving experience, others can present dangers for the woman driver, says Mandeville car salesman and transmission repair expert Michael Hodges.

“You want to remain confident and alert on the road, but you also want to watch out for those who may take advantage of the fact that you’re a woman, and try to get a one over on you,” he said.

“Indeed, the average woman driver has about 30 per cent more risk on the road, because of some of the stereotypes that even other women perpetuate.”

Below he shares some stereotypes, and explains ways that women can react to protect themselves.

Women drivers are selfish and won’t give blys

“Everybody says this — once they need a bly a woman driver will be the last person to give it.” He said whether it is true or not, a belief like this can put the woman at risk on the road, because other drivers will assume that she won’t acquiesce to their demands to be let in, and force their way through.

“This can result in her having to slam on the brakes, and sometimes even hit the other car,” he said.

He said women can protect themselves by not being quick to play the game where they refuse to let drivers like bus and taxi operators in the line, because at the end of the day, many times it’s their cars that get damaged and they will have to stand the cost of repairs.

Women drivers take better care of their cars

“In fact, this ‘lady-driven’ label is the biggest fallacy I’ve every heard,” Hodges said. “The truth is, many women have no clue what is going on with their cars, and some believe that all you have to do is put gas in, and you will be alright. I once had a customer who came to me with a car that was stalling. When I checked, everything was dry — the oil well, transmission well, radiator reservoir and even the windscreen fluid dispenser. She had no idea that these were things that she should have been checking and servicing.”

He cautioned women to watch videos and read their car manuals, and to at least have a general idea of how to do simple things like check oil and coolant levels.

Women can’t parallel park

You’ll always see a security guard or some other trusty fellow directing women drivers when they attempt to park, or to back out of a parking spot, but according to Hodges, in his experience, women drivers in fact park better than men many times.

“They are very precise in their method of understanding the science behind things like parallel parking — what happens many times is that they will get flustered because there are men attempting to help them and causing confusion,” he said.

He said when this happens, the woman should decline the help as politely as possible, and park the way she knows how.

That slow driver in the Note in front of you is a woman

“Some of the fastest drivers I have met are women, and they are better able than men to navigate corners, speed and traction and avoid accidents,” Hodges said. “Many times when you drive up beside an annoying slow driver you will realise that it’s not a woman at all — and the woman just zoomed past you in the souped-up Honda.”

Women drivers can be easily intimidated

Again, many bus and taxi operators have this view, and women should be careful, Hodges said. “What you want to do is to challenge them — don’t let them intimidate you on the road, and stick to your guns once it is safe to do so, while at the same time not playing the hero and trying to challenge a JUTC bus for space on a one-lane road,” he said.

“So pick your battles wisely, and use your intuition to know when to take on a road hog in a challenge, and when to just let it go.”