Women have traditionally had a bad deal when it comes to their driving capabilities. Jokes made at our expense about our lack of parking prowess and poor road positioning aren’t just annoying – they’re basically untrue. For every bad female motorist, there’s a bad male one to even up the score. On the whole, women are good and safe drivers. Ask any insurer – they are far happier to insure careful and cautious female drivers over risk-taking and aggressive male motorists.
In the world of modern motoring, there’s enough room on the highway for everybody; but here are some tips aimed at girls in particular that should make life on the road flow smoothly.
Well taught woman
One of the most important things you can do to improve your driving experience is being taught by an expert instructor. Don’t let family members teach you (unless you really like to argue), ask around friends and work colleagues for recommendations. A good driving instructor is like gold dust because right from your first time behind the wheel they will give you confidence and teach you good and safe driving habits that you will carry with you on a lifetime of journeys. Some women like to be taught by other women, others don’t really mind – it’s the quality of the teaching that’s the issue.
Feminine insurance
I’ve already hinted at this, if you haven’t yet done so, take a look at insurers who specialise in car insurance for women. Statistically speaking, your gender means you are less likely to be involved in road traffic accidents and other traffic related trouble. This makes women a safer bet for insurers and so premiums are lower. Work the feminine angle to the max with your car insurer and see how low they can go. Hustle hustle hustle.
Motor DIY diva
Unless you are a mechanic or motor engineering designer, (which is 100 per cent totally possible) the colour and paint finish, interior sound system and make-up mirror are probably going to be of more interest to you than what is under the bonnet of your car. That said, it doesn’t mean you can neglect the maintenance of your four wheeled chariot – being left high and dry in the middle of nowhere is not the sort of thing a girl wants to happen. Simple DIY tricks such as keeping all the fluids topped up (oil, coolant, power steering fluid, screen-wash) and checking that tyres are safe and legal is all easy stuff you can deal with. For more in depth car-surgery, find a good motor mechanic who listens to your concerns and doesn’t try to take advantage of your lack of motor knowledge. If you have any doubts about the service you receive, it’s a good tip to take a petrol-head friend or relative in with you for back up if necessary.
Tyre Talk
Tyres need changing regularly as they wear out and if you want to avoid the inconvenience and the sometimes hostile male-centric atmosphere of motor garages and tyre fitters, why not go online at www.bktyres.co.uk to arrange for their operatives to visit your car at home for a tyre change? Swapping new tyres for old on the driveway or even at your workplace is no problem for the mobile fitters at bktyres.co.uk who can bring along the correct sized tyres at great prices at a time convenient to you. Saves you time, money and you don’t chip a nail – awesome!
Drive a lot
If you are having trouble with confidence on the road, there’s nothing like practice to sharpen up your skills. If you avoid parallel parking because you find it hard, try and find opportunities where you can practice this tough technique on quiet streets. Soon you’ll discover that you won’t have to think quite so hard about it, the old muscle-memory will kick in and you’ll transform into a parking ninja. Building your confidence behind the wheel is all about getting lots of on the road experience. Take off on a road trip with gal pals – channel Thelma and Louise along the A roads or down the motorway, enjoy discovering new places, plotting your route on GPS and pulling over in little places off the beaten track. Take yourself seriously – invest in some driving gloves and a pair of anti-glare sunglasses to make driving easier and safer.
Driving can be a real pleasure and as a girl you totally have the right to share in the auto-joy. So slip in behind the wheel, mirror, signal, manoeuvre, and off you go…
