—
A general poll of the people that surround you, especially the men in your circle of friends and family, will likely result in the cliché consensus that men are better drivers than women — or at least better than average as a whole. This is perhaps a consequence of living in male-dominated society, or perhaps it’s a theme that has simply been accepted for so long, it no longer generates objective consideration.
Whatever the reason for this particular conclusion, it doesn’t fit the facts at all. Men are not, in fact, better behind the wheel than women — we just think we are. Not everyone can be above average, and when you take a look at the statistics, the reality becomes clearer. An individual’s sex does not determine their coordination at the wheel. It’s practice — and it’s time men went back to school.
Getting Back to Basics
Whether it’s a complete re-education or simply brushing up on forgotten information, most male drivers can benefit from a crash course — no pun intended — review of driver’s education and training.
Revisiting the manual hand signals that indicate turns, four-way stop sign etiquette or even how to execute a roundabout properly are all positive preventive measures against the number of roadway injuries and accidents that rise every year.
Then, check out this video, and put at least one of those things into practice:
Don’t slam on the brakes when you need to stop. Learn how to control oversteer and understeer. Actually practice parallel parking, especially if you haven’t done it since drivers ed. Nothing can spoil a date quicker than showcasing your inability to put the car in an open spot. And don’t forget to be patient. Driving fast isn’t showing off to anyone but yourself.
Male Drivers’ Stats
With any argument based on logic, it’s the numbers that drive the point home. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, twice as many fatal car crashes occurred with men behind the wheel than women in 2013. Also according to the CDC, men are less likely to wear their seatbelts in a moving car than women are. So, the fact that in 2014, over 10,000 male drivers died in fatal car crashes isn’t all that surprising. What number did women contribute to this statistic during that year? Less than 5,000.
This does not include past statistics on drunk driving where men were responsible for four out of every five DUIs, or statistics on motor vehicle incidents of senior adults in which older males have higher death rates than females. While these disappointing numbers serve as dire warnings against male overconfidence behind the wheel, there are other reasons why a continuous effort in improvement should be considered for male drivers.
Reasons to Improve
For better or for worse, when looking at the situation on a global scale, it’s men and not women who make up the driving population. This trend has started changing for the better on a global scale, but there are still enough specific instances that require men to possess quality driving skills. Besides the basic need of personal transportation and ensuring the safety of fellow drivers on the road and pedestrians on foot, as a service, driving ability has value.
For instance, for expectant parents and partners, the father or a male family member can be extremely valuable as a ride to and from various doctor’s appointments. For professional reasons, unparalleled skill behind the wheel will probably become the only currency most chauffeurs possess against the surge of driverless transportation services.
In fact, whether it’s for comfort’s sake, convenience, emergency response or religious reasons, men will continue as a driving majority for years to come — but it’s not because we’re any better than the fairer sex.
—
The role of men is changing in the 21st century. Want to keep up?
Get the best stories from The Good Men Project delivered straight to your inbox, here.