In today’s instalment of stupid things men think, it turns out men still – yes, in 2022 – think they’re better drivers than women. This, despite the fact that men actually account for 64% of serious crashes on New Zealand roads.
Cool, cool, cool.
As revealed in an Official Informational Act request made by car manufacturers Jaguar as well as a new survey, archaic perceptions around the driving ability of wāhine still linger.
Eighty-four per cent of men reckon they’re better drivers than their female counterparts, while 55 per cent of men believe that women are more interested in the style, colour and aesthetics of a car rather than its actual performance, despite the fact the same research found performance and safety were in fact the most important considerations for women when purchasing a new car.
Men surveyed said that women weren’t interested in performance because it “bores” us, that “most women like things that look nice” and that we “don’t need performance”.
Sorry but if you’ve ever tried to get a car park at a mall on Boxing Day or drive through Auckland when it’s just started to rain because apparently everyone forgets how to drive when it gets wet, you’ll know we bloody need performance, thank you very much. (But yes also cup holders because we’re not stupid, the coffee has to go somewhere but that’s EVERYONE’S issue).
And shockingly, 55 per cent of New Zealanders believe men are better drivers than women.
It’s disheartening stuff, especially on the back of this year’s International Women’s Day with its theme of #breakthebias.
Breaking gender stereotypes is part of Jaguar’s whole vibe, and traces back to one of Jaguar’s original racing drivers, Sybil Lupp. She was the first New Zealand woman to forge her way into the male-dominated industry in the 1950s, rising to national prominence in motor racing and operating her own mechanics.
Today, Kiwi motor racing champ Rianna O’Meara-Hunt obviously knows the notion of men being better drivers is a load of BS, saying “It’s awesome to see more and more women coming into motorsport. When we put our helmets on, we all become equal, we’re all there for the same reason and we all have the same goal at the end of the day.”
Bottom line, kids – turns out women are better drivers than men. At least now you have some stats to back up what we already knew!
