10 reasons why women aren’t bad drivers
The other night I got it in the neck.
I won’t go into why, but lets just say my wife grilled me after I made a few half-wit comments about women being bad drivers – need I say more.
Women get a lot of stick about being bad drivers, and let’s be honest, it’s not always fair. If you’ve heard or perhaps even said yourself that “women can’t drive” it’s time to get your feminist face out as I some eat humble pie as I run through 10 reasons why women aren’t really so bad behind the wheel after all.
Oh and guys, if you think women are bad drivers you may want to stop reading now, because you know… this one is for the ladies.
Bad drivers… ?
1. No wolf whistling here
Did you know that a couple of thousand accidents per year are caused by drivers ogling at sexy pedestrians? Yep, it’s true, and have you ever seen a woman shouting, “oi oi get your bits out” from their car window? No, not unless they’re on a hen night in Skegness.
2. The competitive edge
Being competitive is not always a good thing, and (*stereotype alert*) men don’t tend to take kindly to other people flexing their driving skills right in front of them. So if you drive about like you own the place, you’ve probably earned yourself a place in the bad drivers’ club.
3. The tortoise and the hare
You’ve all heard the story – the hare thinks he’s got it all going on, only to be completely nailed by the tortoise in the end. Women don’t mind being tortoises as long as they get to win eventually… isn’t that right, ladies?
4. Women have better taste
Mario Balotelli covered a £160k Bentley in camouflage, while Justin Bieber wrapped his Audi R8 in Leopard print. Bad taste automatically makes you a bad driver. Need we say more?
Note: I’ve deliberately ignored Katie Price’s pink Bugatti for the sake of this argument.
5. Parking is not just a “man’s thing”
Men might think that their parallel parking skills is something worth mentioning on their CV, but that doesn’t mean women can’t fit their cars into a parking space just as effectively. Okay women may be a little slower at it, and hey, they might even have two attempts, but at the end of the day they get the car in the space.
6. Women don’t overestimate
It’s not unfair to say that men tend to be a bit generous when it comes to estimating sizes (if you know what I mean). Saying “yeaaahhh I’ll fit the car through there” and not actually being to do it isn’t good driving. Men will also find it takes them longer than they first thought to get anywhere and then blame their bad punctuality on traffic.
7. White van drivers
When was the last time a white van driver pissed you off? And when was the last time you saw a white van being driven by a woman?
8. In the words of Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle…
‘That car I’m driving, I’ve bought it’. If you’re an Independent Woman, a) throw your hands up at me and b) let everyone know that you are, in fact, a very good driver.
9. They’re called boy racers for a reason
If you’ve got a huge exhaust, drive like the police is chasing you and generally make people look at you and tut, you’re probably a boy racer. While girl racers do also exist they are a rare breed, and they probably just have a couple of pink stickers to show for it.
10. Men think they can beat the sat nav
Okay so the Sat nav can not always be trusted, but there’s not following it into a river and then there’s ignoring every single instruction it gives you. It’s a bit of a dad thing to go up against the sat nav in some kind of rubbish and anti-climactic race, and you almost always end up adding at least an extra 15 minutes on to your journey. Just do what she says and make a bloody U-turn.
You see woman aren’t bad drivers they just like to do thing differently. So next time you feel like blurting out the standard “women are bad drivers” joke, think twice before you end up having to write a blog about it.
Enough said.
Your fearless mechanic,
Phil
10 essentials for your first summer road trip
Planning a summer road trip anyone?
Whether you’re going to a summer festival, on a glamorous camping trip, or a day trip to the beach, there are a few things you really don’t want to forget on a summer road trip.
Join us, as we run through the checklist of summer road trip essentials.
1. A sense of direction…
You don’t want to be getting lost the very first time you attempt to venture away on a summer road trip. Obviously it’s not a very good idea to head straight out on your the day after you pass your driving test, so make sure you’re capable of using a map and driving without getting lost.
For your summer road trip, it makes sense to use a Sat Nav or if you prefer things the old-fashioned way a good ole map with some printed directions will do the trick.
2. Food, food, glorious food
No one wants to be hungry on a summer road trip, so don’t forget the sweets, the Pringles and the cash for the McDonalds drive-thru. Don’t go too eating to much though, you don’t want to end up sticking your head out the window like a sick dog.
3. Bring some tuuuuunes!
You’re going to need some seriously good music for your summer road trip. You know… the kind of songs that make people shout ‘TUUUUUNNEEE’ or run to the dance floor like they’re being chased by a pack of hungry dogs.
A collaborative summer road trip playlist is a good idea, providing no one created a playlist filled with songs from the wonder years.
4. Your Ray Bans
What’s the point in going on a summer road trip if you haven’t got any Ray Bans? Okay…we’ll allow cheap knock offs too; but for swag just make sure you’ve brought your driving shades along for the ride.
Note: In the interests of safety, please make sure that you can actually see out of your sunglasses while driving.
5. An in-car mobile phone charger
The last thing you want if on a summer road trip is to get stuck driving around the countryside looking for Glastonbury with a dying mobile battery. Having a mobile phone charger in your car can you get you out of all sorts of situations, so don’t forget to stick it in your glove box before you leave.
6. A Polaroid instant camera
On a summer road trip, who needs Instagram if you can take instant pictures of your mates really going for it in the dance tent? Polaroid instant cameras aren’t too pricey, and there’s no need to spend hours uploading everything to Facebook when you get home. Job done.
7. A torch
You may be going on a summer road trip, but every driver should have a torch in his or her car, although hopefully there’ll be no need to use it. Your first road trip should be a fun, stress-free affair. But you never know when a torch may come in handy, or when you might find yourself searching around in the dark for the right tent.
8. Money…
It may sound obvious, but you’d may be surprised by the number of people that break down because they run out of petrol. On your summer road trip make sure you’ve got cash on your card, so you don’t find yourself sitting at the side of the M25 instead, of lounging at the beach. Oh… and seeing as you’re the driver, don’t forget to make sure your mates chip in with the petrol money too!
9. Something warm
We know the summer is the time to take as many clothes off as possible, but lets face it… we are in England and who knows what the weather is going to be like. A good suggestion is to bring a few warmer clothes with you, at least a hoodie and a pair of leggings, because as soon as it gets dark you’re seriously going to regret your choice of daisy dukes.
10. Your friends
Summer Road Trip
Finally on your summer road trip…
Don’t forget to bring your mates with you. Your first road trip isn’t going to be much fun if you’re sitting on your own shouting ‘TUUUNNEE’ with all the windows open, so bring your friends drive save and have a wonderful time.
That’s all folks!
Your fearless mechanic,
Phil
Winter Driving Tips
Most drivers like to think they are the best in the game when it comes to driving. We spend hours upon hours in our vehicles so it’s understandable why this may induce some level of confidence.
Now I don’t want to put a downer on it, but during winter it’s very easy to overestimate our skills behind the wheel. And winter driving has a nasty habit of biting us where it hurts; hazards such as darkness, rain, fog, ice and dazzling sunshine only add to the danger.
The fact remains, winter driving brings with it accidents, so much so that research by the AA showed that during January 2010 when the UK was gripped by snow and ice, road accidents increased by almost 50% compared to the same period a year earlier.
Although road salters do their best to keep the roads safe, for some reason they always seem to be slow on the uptake when it comes to flash winter weather conditions, I guess like us, they too are also at the mercy of the weather gods.
Given that at the end of 2012 there were 34.5 million vehicles licensed for use on the roads in the UK, of which 28.7 million (83%) were cars, there is a high chance that you’ll find yourself encountering driving mayhem when the winter conditions strike.
Winter driving can be a challenge, so planning ahead and having the general winter driving “know how” and the skills necessary to get the better of what the winter wonderland may throw at you is a must.
The following winter driving tips will help you stay safe this winter.
Winter Driving Tips
Commonsense
Now this may sound like common sense but… the best way to stay safe in bad weather is to stay off the roads and use alternative means of travel. So before you travel, consider whether your journey is necessary.
Plan Ahead
Fail to plan, plan to fail. Yes, winter driving may also mean making an effort to plan ahead.
If you’re unsure of the weather forecast before you hit the road, take some time to look up the weather conditions. Check forecasts and traffic news, both local and national. There are numerous options out there to help you do this; a good mobile app to consider is perhaps the Met Office Weather App.
Are you fit to drive?
It’s easy to over estimate our ability to drive especially if we need to get somewhere urgently. But be practical, and make sure that medicine, alcohol, drugs, stress, tiredness or mobile phones will not impair your driving at any time of year, but especially during winter. Also it helps if you inform someone of your intended journey, route and time of arrival if you feel your health may be suspect.
PREPARING YOUR CAR FOR WINTER
Winter Driving Tips
One of the winter driving tips that you can roll out before facing our unpredictable UK winter is winterizing your vehicle.
Tyres
I know, I know you’ve heard it before, but come on… how may of you actually check your tyre treads before winter hits?
As I mentioned in the previous blog – Winter car checklist, makes sure your tyres have the suitable tread depth – the penny test is great for this. Tyre pressure goes down in the cold, so if left unchecked it will lead to poor control and possibly a host of other issues.
NB: Tyre tread depth should be at least 3mm to be safe in wet or icy conditions and tyres should be inflated to the pressure recommended by the manufacturer.
Snow Tyres
Although snow tyres are perhaps not required for everyone, a good winter driving tip especially if you live in an area known for heavy snow fall, is to consider putting some snow tyres on your vehicle at the start of the season.
Windshield Wipers and Fluid
If you’ve ever been behind a vehicle, or worse still… a lorry in the snow, with slush splashing up all over the windows, you’ll probably agree that driving in winter can at times come with challenging visibility issues.
Another one of those useful winter driving tips, is to replace your windscreen wipers at the start of the season. Believe you me, there is nothing worse than poor blades in bad weather so make sure your wiper blades function effectively. Oh… and don’t forget to top up with the applicable windscreen fluid.
Anti-freeze
Winter driving tips couldn’t be complete without the self-explanatory… but be sure to address… anti-freeze. Add anti-freeze to the radiator and winter additives to the windscreen washer fluid to prepare for winter driving.
Fuel
Ice in your fuel tank is by no means good but trust me, it can easily happen. A winter driving tip to prevent this from happening is to keep your fuel tank half full at all times to help prevent ice in your fuel lines and tank.
Winter Emergency Safety Kit
There can be many unforeseen eventualities when driving during the winter, so the following are a few emergency driving kit recommendations that will help you deal with winter conditions, and the possibility of your vehicle getting stuck in it.
To begin, a nice way to go about this, apart from making sure you have the obvious in your emergency kit, is to think about the main passengers that are likely to be traveling in your car and plan ahead for their specific needs.
Winter Driving Tips: Keep warm and snug in your vehicle
Blanket
Extra clothing
Wellington boots
Bottled water
Food: high energy, non-perishable
Two large containers with lids for melting snow and sanitation
Winter Driving Tips: Getting unstuck
Ice scraper
Salt
Flashlight
De-icer
Shovel
Sand/kitty litter
Winter Driving Tips: General car preparation
Handheld road map
Compass
First-aid kit
Warning triangle
High visibility vest
Winter Driving Skills
Although few and far between, there are a handful of winter driving schools devoted to specifically helping drivers learn and practice their winter driving skills.
If you’re interested, Prodrive has a pretty cool winter driving school, which looks like fun. So check it out, and if you decide to sign up, let me know how you get on!
To health and vehicle happiness,
Your fearless mechanic,
Phil.