Why are there so many scared woman drivers ? Woman up and learn how to drive !

I think women are too scared to be seen as doing anything wrong and get flustered if someone behind them is impatient with them.

Absolutely. I know this is the case for DH and I- if he gets flashed or beeped it doesn't even seem to register, whereas I will overthink it and worry about what I did wrong, and I also worry far to much about who is behind me and whether they are getting impatient with me.

I have been driving for over 2 decades and never been in an accident, so I know I just have to get over it and not worry about some ragey bloke behind me who is up my arse when I'm already driving safely at the speed limit.

I used to be a very unconfident driver. Part of the reason was my car. I had inherited my mum's old Citroen Saxo which was painted "harvest red" ie dusky pink. Nobody takes you seriously in a small, dusky pink car. Nobody.
DH had a rude awakening when he needed to drive my car. Suddenly everyone was cutting him up, not giving way when they should. He said he ended up facing someone who was on the wrong side of the road who was refusing to move until he got out. Then suddenly because they realise the car is actually being driven by a burly man they capitulated. Never happened for me.
Was a bloody shame, it was a lovely car to drive, but it felt like driving with a target on my back.
My current car is a standard shade of red and is also a bit bigger. Not had anything like as many issues.

She got rid of her car, that should read, she didn't abandon the cat!

Part of it though is also just being comfortable with what you're used to. I commuted in the dark down windy roads for 10 years so I might drive us to Cornwall, whereas DH is more used to motorways so will drive us to Swindon.

If other drivers frequently swear at you maybe the problem is your shit driving

It's interesting how you have said it's super pathetic not to be able to drive properly but go on to say taxi drivers in London frequently shout at you for getting flustered but you don't care.

Could it be an age thing? I learnt to drive as a teenager and have driven all over without any issues since then. My mother is from a time when not every family had a car, and if they did it was Dad who drove. She learnt to drive in her 40s and it has never been 2nd nature to her as it is for me. When my dad died she got rid of her cat altogether as she couldn't face driving without him sat next to her panicking and criticising at every turn!

Yeah I’m nervous of driving but love spiders.

Therefore l am superior to confident braggy drivers

Because women as a class of people often lack confidence, due to the way we are socialised and the way we are treated.

Because men are socialised to be confident, self assured, cocky and risk-taking, and women aren’t.

It’s not hard, OP, if you’d get off your high horse. It took me years to get my confidence with driving. I’ll drive anywhere now, but I can absolutely see why so many women lack confidence in their own ability and competence with driving, as with many other areas of life.

As an aside, in my experience, women are generally better drivers. Usually drive defensively rather than aggressively, keep within speed limits, and aren’t filled with rage over minor everyday driving disputes.

[quote ZealAndArdour]@AllOfUsAreDead

Oh, I’m not saying I lack confidence to drive, i’m a strong enough character to just ignore them and carry on with my own style of driving that works for me. I just know there are some women out there who will get beaten down by this constant criticism.[/quote]
Put them in a car with me, I'll make them cry.

Are you as super pathetically annoying in real life?

I completely agree with this being a trait that is almost exclusive to women and it baffles me. I used to share a house with a woman in her twenties who had just learnt to drive - but she was very nervous and utterly incapable of parallel parking, to the point where she'd come home having literally abandoned the car in the middle of the road, right beside a perfectly suitable parking spot and ask me to park it for her! . Tragically she later died in a car crash (caused by her)

I don't drive because I hate it.I don't care what irrelevant people like you think of me.
FWIW I know plenty of men who hate driving and so don't. Stop being such an arse about it. It doesn't affect you personally so why are you so annoyed by it.
I deal with every aspect of my life on my own so far from pathetic you just seem like a nasty person.

Also they probably get upset by being called a c by other drivers

How very unreasonable of them .

I've seen so many posts about scared women drivers.

You are unlikely to see any men posting about driving anxiety on mumsnet though.

@AllOfUsAreDead

Oh, I’m not saying I lack confidence to drive, i’m a strong enough character to just ignore them and carry on with my own style of driving that works for me. I just know there are some women out there who will get beaten down by this constant criticism.

Why do driving threads always bring out the twats on MN?

Some kind of fear of driving is perfectly rational. You are potentially travelling at 70 odd mph in a metal box on wheels, that you are solely in control of and responsible for, alongside dozens of other people in metal boxes on wheels, that they are solely in control or and responsible for.

And you wonder why people might be a bit worried about that and judge them for it?

Another post trying to stir up hatred for men

Are you like this in real life OP?

How’s that working out for you?

I think perhaps, that women are more likely to say they don’t drive, it’s more acceptable perhaps. I know a fair few man who don’t drive. I tell you what though, it doesn’t affect me in the slightest.

My MIL is like this. Will only drive to certain places and if she has to go anywhere else gets one of her sons to drive her.

I drive around the country in all weathers for work and can’t imagine being so restricted.