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

[unfeelingwife]

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

What's that all about ? Why can't women drive confidently ? Is it because men are arseholes on the roads ? I know a few women in real life who won't drive on motorways or when it's dark etc.

Why ?? Why are there fewer men who are scared to drive ? Or is that just in my circle ? I drive everywhere, including long road trips to different countries, with my babies and I'm just not scared. I know women who just refuse to drive and their husbands drive them around....

Ive been in a few accidents, by the way. It hasn't put me off. Everyone is different of course, but is it men who've put women off driving ? With their shouting and insults/ road rage ?

What if the people on this thread raging about how many people can’t drive decided to put their energies into improving public transportation which would help literally everyone and also the environment.

If you’re amazed that lots of people have dyspraxia then can I suggest that you have a read about dyspraxia.

Up to 6% of the population affected, including children. Males are 4X more likely to be affected than females. So I think it can be ruled out as a reason so many British women are happy to state that they have fears which keep them from driving.

@ShiftingSands21, nobody is raging, and nobody is raging about why women can't drive.

What many are asking is why women in Britain are comfortable telling whoever is listening about being frightened to drive, to drive long distances, to drive on certain kinds of roads.

[quote mathanxiety]@ShiftingSands21, nobody is raging, and nobody is raging about why women can't drive.

What many are asking is why women in Britain are comfortable telling whoever is listening about being frightened to drive, to drive long distances, to drive on certain kinds of roads.[/quote]
Why should they be ashamed of it?

Because it is an internalisation and an echoing of male chauvinism.

@mathanxiety

Because it is an internalisation and an echoing of male chauvinism.

I think you and OP are the ones doing that. Even the expression 'woman up' comes from 'man up' and the sometimes toxic macho culture of never admitting you're afraid of anything. It's been very damaging to men over the years, why should women buy into that crap?

@ButterflyBitch

I know so many men who are scared of spiders. Why don’t they man up? Why can’t they confidently face a teeny tiny spider? Who the fuck are you to judge what other people are afraid of? What a judgemental horrible post.

I agree!

Because men still hold so many rights and entitlements. So many men put down and squash women’s capabilities and confidence.
So many women don’t realise that is what’s happening or has happened, directly or indirectly.
Women will never have equal rights whilst attitudes like this don’t change

@ThanksItHasPockets

To address the OP, I know a lot of men of a certain age who will not be driven by their wife (I suspect they find it emasculating) and make snide comments about their wife’s driving. That kind of behaviour erodes and undermines confidence over time.

Yep, I’m married to one. And he’s a driving instructor. I had 30 years of it. I refused to drive him for 15 years and rarely drive him now when he can’t drive because of illness. I have bought myself a lovely new car and he can put up and shut up or get himself wherever by public transport!

You’re just being silly now aren’t you.

Sorry, post fail there. To all the people falling over themselves to explain themselves to these horrible twats, save your energy. Evidently they’re not prepared to accept it whatever you say unless it’s ‘I’m sorry, it’s because I’m a pathetic woman’. Just leave them to their little echo chamber! Personally I hope they stay in there and leave everyone else alone.

Neither my mother or father has ever driven. I was brought up using public transport. Soon becomes second nature.

@cheekychaplin

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

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

Alright then...

I was never at all interested in cars or driving. Didn't learn to drive till my mid-thirties - and then only so I could pick my son up from his mother's. Now I drive a lot, mostly taking my daughters all over the place, because that's a help to them, rather than because I like driving a car.

I'm, at best, a mediocre driver. I find it dull. If it weren't for changing gears, I'd lose interest entirely. Also, I hate driving at night, especially in the rain. When we go anywhere as a family, my wife drives, because she enjoys it and she's better at it than me. At the first opportunity I shall give up driving completely and I shan't miss it a bit.

I'm not afraid of spiders though.

Neither my mother or father has ever driven. I was brought up using public transport. Soon becomes second nature.

@Riverlee we didn't have a car when I was growing up, but were lucky enough to live somewhere with plentiful public transport. Before you post about being smug about using public transport all the time you might like to consider that not everyone lives somewhere where public transport is plentiful

Ive been in a few accidents, by the way. It hasn't put me off.

Well done you.

I can drive perfectly well and have done for years. For various reasons I've not done motorway driving very much in recent years so was a little nervous the first time I did in my new car. But it was perfectly fine.

I didn't go fast, but. At the speed limit - electric car and too fast wastes the electricity! - but you still get some idiots driving way too close for comfort. Over confident blokes, mainly, who just drive a tad too aggressively which can make some routes less pleasant for others.

I do drive in the dark at times but I'm not keen. Since having laser eye surgery I have a lot more glare and some newer and higher cars have such bright blinding lights. So whilst I'll drive at night if I need to, if I don't have to, such as if Dh and I are out together, then I'll opt out.

@RampantIvy

Neither my mother or father has ever driven. I was brought up using public transport. Soon becomes second nature.

@Riverlee we didn't have a car when I was growing up, but were lucky enough to live somewhere with plentiful public transport. Before you post about being smug about using public transport all the time you might like to consider that not everyone lives somewhere where public transport is plentiful

Sorry, didn’t mean to sound smug.

I know only one woman who won't drive but this is linked to her anxiety not the fact she's a woman. Every other woman I know is perfectly confident at driving including 70 year old Mum and MIL.

@Riverlee

Neither my mother or father has ever driven. I was brought up using public transport. Soon becomes second nature.

Easy enough in a city. Not so easy when you’re out in the sticks where driving is often your only way to get a job.

@Silverswirl

Because men still hold so many rights and entitlements. So many men put down and squash women’s capabilities and confidence. So many women don’t realise that is what’s happening or has happened, directly or indirectly. Women will never have equal rights whilst attitudes like this don’t change

Agreed. Bil does this with sil, a lot. To the point where even after she passed he refused to give her joint money to buy a car as promised because ‘she was dangerous’. Eventually her DB got her one and now she’s a great driver but he murdered her confidence to the point where she doesn’t even attempt highways.

Not too keen on driving, have panic attacks and horrific astigmatism that means glare from lights at night makes it difficult.

However, I make myself do it anyway even though I hate it, mainly for DC as I'm a single mum.

Having anxiety and astigmatism are not gender specific conditions so I think YABU.

And to add I'm actually a really good driver. Defensive, but not a slow coach holding up the road either. Just sets my anxiety off 🤷‍♀️. Judge away!

@Silverswirl

Because men still hold so many rights and entitlements. So many men put down and squash women’s capabilities and confidence. So many women don’t realise that is what’s happening or has happened, directly or indirectly. Women will never have equal rights whilst attitudes like this don’t change

This is absolutely true of many older women who will only drive locally. It makes me so cross.

I avoid driving at night because of the new trend for blinding headlights, especially SUVs where the light is directly in my rear view mirror or line of vision because I have a small car. I work in a rural area where I also have to deal with driving in pitch dark then suddenly passing someone with their high beams still on

Yes the white lights are far too bright and people also have a habit of putting their full beam on when they are behind you, goodness knows why. It will not make me go any faster, quite the opposite in fact.

Inner city driving is the Pitts I constantly have men tailgating me. It’s rarely a woman.

I’m currently sitting here with a broken rib/bruised sternum after someone pulled out on me doing 40mph last week (an older lady to be fair).

So fed up. It really was quite traumatic I never even had time to break.

I've been a confident driver since the get go! I've just been watching some footage online of a female, with a young kid in the back, attempting some god awful parking that was so bad, she asked the driver of the neighbouring car to back out, so she could manoeuvre without causing more damage! 🤦🏼‍♀️