New research claims women drivers are angrier than men
by Keith Morgan on Saturday, November 12th, 2016A recent UK study of 1,000 drivers reveals women are, on average, 12 percent angrier than men are when they’re behind the wheel.
Researchers found driving sparked ancient ‘defence’ instincts from when humans were hunter-gatherers.
These evolutionary traits kicked in during the test when women were either undertaken, shouted or beeped at, had to deal with a back-seat driver (women 14 percent angrier) or were faced with a road user who failed to indicate (women 13 percent angrier). In all test scenarios, women were more likely to respond with anger than male drivers were.
The experiment, conducted by Patrick Fagan, behavioural psychologist from Goldsmiths University London, ‘sense tested’ the 1,000 drivers to see how sound, sight, smell, touch and taste provoke emotional responses in different driving scenarios.
The study found there are two dominant emotions: happiness – intrinsically linked to a sense of freedom when driving – and anger when drivers feel out of control.
Explaining the results of the Hyundai UK sponsored survey, Fagan commented: “Psychologically, women score higher than men on emotional and verbal intelligence, and on the personality trait of neuroticism. Evolutionary theory suggests our early female ancestors had to develop an acute sense of danger for anything that threatened them and their young if their cave was undefended while men were out hunting. That ‘early warning system’ instinct is still relevant today, and women drivers tend to be more sensitive to negative stimuli, so get angry and frustrated quicker.”
Other key findings include:
The primary reasons for our continued love affair with driving are the freedom it gives us (51 percent), mobility (19 percent) and independence (10 percent). If you want a man to open up, take him for a drive. Just under a third (29 percent) of men said they find it easier to have a conversation in the car. Fourteen percent added that a chat actually makes them a better driver.
Around 54 percent of Brits said the thing that made them happy in the car was singing. When the researchers looked at what makes us happy behind the wheel, 84 per cent of people said “empty roads”, 78 per cent said “the countryside” and 69 per cent “the seaside.”
Music also makes drivers happy. Eight out of 10 people nearly always listen to something while driving with Meatloaf’s Bat out of Hell and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody top of the driving charts. Pop (70 percent) and rock (61 percent) are the most popular genres.
A potentially bad head day seems to be preferable to a bad hair day for many cyclists. Helmetless cyclists appear to outnumber those that don head protection this spring.
What drives-u-crazy?
Contact the writer/ranter at keith [dot] morgan [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca
They should rename the curb lane the cab lane.
Even when there is room to pass on the left it seem the taxi driver’s choice is to zoom down the curb lane and try to cut in at the last second when they come up against a parked car.
What drives you crazy?
Spring is in the air and already the first sighting has been made of a helmet-less cyclist pedalling at high speed over a pedestrian crossing before cutting back dangerously into the curbside lane.
What drives-u-crazy?
One of the biggest traffic beefs expressed by readers is about left turners who won’t move out into the intersection.
Doing so, enables at least two cars and perhaps three to make the turn at the light change, which reduces frustration. The other day I saw a police car barely straddle the crosswalk, refusing to move out. What hope is there?
What drives-u-crazy?
Contact: keith [dot] morgan [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca
Pulled up at the lights in the second lane of a busy three-lane road the other day to find myself boxed in by telephonic transgressors.
To my left, a middle-aged man was having an animated discussion on his hand-held cell, while to my right a young woman was not only chatting but peering closely at her eyeliner in the rearview mirror. Then behind me, I spied a fast-approaching Bimmer: thank goodness, he didn’t need his hands to brake because he too looked like he was tearing a strip off somebody on his phone!
What drives-u-crazy?
Contact: keith [dot] morgan [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca (more…)
Sitting at a roadside java joint, I overheard a man arguing with a police officer about a ticket issued for illegally passing on the right.
He had passed a row of three cars on a wide single lane and bolted at the light, cutting in sharply at the other side of the intersection. It was such a pleasure to behold because it happens so infrequently – the booking for such an annoying practice, that is!
What drives-u-crazy?
Intersections are where roads cross.
Obvious?
Well, it seems many drivers don’t know that, because they frequently block intersections where major roads meet with minor neighbourhood streets in contravention of local bylaws.
What drives-u-crazy?
When driving in heavy rainfall please spare a thought for pedestrians on the sidewalk and avoid passing through pooled water at high speed!
What drives-u-crazy?
keith [dot] morgan [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca
When the snow falls, watch out for drivers who couldn’t be bothered to sweep the white stuff from the roof of their car before setting out in the morning.
They are a danger to themselves and other road users. When the car heats up that snow generally slides down in a block over their windshield causing one-car white out conditions, long enough for them to collide with you!
What drives-u-crazy?
Recent Comments
- { Enjoyed your Forest of Bowland in the BMW X5M, particularly the photo of the BMW in front of the main part of Stonyhurst College where... }
- { Bantam designed the Jeep, not Willy's or Ford. The American military gave the original Bantam prototype to Willys and Ford to copy. There is plenty... }
- { All Escalades come with a 6.2-lilter V8 engine that produces 420 horsepower. A six-speed automatic is the only transmission offered and drives the rear wheels.... }
- { Alexandra is an excellent journalist. }
Popular Posts
- Journey to a ‘Sparkling’ Luxury Okanagan Resort “Four lucky readers will put a Dodge Journey’s weekend-...
- The Need For Speed: Hike Those Highway Limits More than half of those polled believe the province sho...
- Drives-U-Crazy… Erratic drivers. An early morning drive from Kelowna to Vancouver is nor...
- Readers Respond: The Pros and Cons of Increasing B.C. Speed Limits Increasing the speed limits will only increase risk to...
- Honda CR-V Review: The Compact Crossover To Get Things Done The CRV is a very stylish and aerodynamic crossover veh...
TAGS
Social Links
