Gender Differences in Driving:
You're Driving me Nuts!

Summary of Cara Lucey's Report: Gender Differences in Driving Norms

Cara Lucey's Report on Gender Differences in Driving demonstrated the integration of norms, stereotypes, and expectations. Gender differences in driving can be accounted for by these three societal factors. For instance, the majority of society has long held the belief that women should be submissive and compliant. Women are expected to behave in such a way. She gave the example of how she was involved with an abusive boyfriend. He used scare tactics to put her in her "place." Norms are rules that govern society; they are what society expects out of people in certain situations. For instance, men are expected to know how to fix cars in the event of a breakdown. Stereotypes are ideas that people hold that may not necessarily be true. Stereotypes are used to generalize and categorize, and in some cases to maintain social structure.

She included links to the results of a survey that she took of 16 drivers (8 male and 8 female). Each participant was instructed to answer either "yes" or "no" to a list of 20 questions that pertained to driving behaviors that they might engage in while driving in traffic. The questions were grouped in this fashion:

Questions 1-7 aimed to reveal anger within the individual Questions 8-11 focused on the philosophy of the individual Questions 12-17 feelings of compulsive rushing and competition Questions 18-20 sensitivity to social pressures that people experience while driving

Here are the results

#1-7 female average 2.87... male average 2.0
#8-11 female average .87 ... male average .62
#12-17 female average 1.62 ...male average 2.12
#18-20 female average .5 ... male average1.

The results show that men and women were nearly equal on matters of anger and personal philosophy. Women were slightly less compulsive and competitive. And finally, women on average were considerably more sensitive to social pressures that they experienced while driving. While the results of her questionnaire are impressive, she admits that the questions were not clear enough. Certain words contained in the questions were influential as to how students answered them. She also says that such a small sample size (16 participants) could never be used to make any generalizations about the greater populations of men and women drivers.

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G7 E-mail Discussion about Gender and Driving

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Mr. Shintani (G7) wrote:
Well I dont think that gender has a lot to do with aggressive driving? as we have discussed in class the study that someone did that says that women are more aggerrsive drivers. I dont think that this study is right. it could have been biased by the way that people answered the questions. I think that term is self actulization. the males might have wanted to make themselves look better. I think that a study will just have to genderless. unless a set of questions can be developed that will account for the differenes that are afforded to each gender. because in certin areas women are more truthful then men, but in other men are more truthful. well that I just my views on the matter.

Mr. Shintani raises the issue of how truthfully men and women will answer questions about their driving. He says that men will tend to try to make themselves look good. He doesn't say anything about women. He may have a point, but because he has no evidence to back up his statement, he is just giving his opinion.

+++
Brandi Ashby (G7) wrote:

As we have discussed in class, the people you don't expect to be aggressive behind the wheel are the ones you most need to be concerned about. I suppose that men are more aggressive;however, women are not the sweet non-aggressive creatures some perceive. I read in the sunday paper that women are increasingly becoming more aggressive behind the wheel.

Ms. Ashby raised another topic: the idea that men are more aggressive as drivers, but women are increasingly becoming aggressive behind the wheel as well. Women are perceived to be sweet and innocent, but they can be just as aggressive as anyone else.

MaryElizabeth Pacheco (G7) wrote:
As I have mentioned in an earlier reply, I have not come across much research specifying the gender behind the wheel. I only assumed that because of social norms and characteristic of the male gender, that most aggressive driving is committed by the male gender. I too am interested in the cases where women are responsible. I will start to search the web and its newsgroups. I recommend these student do the same if they haven't alreasy.

Ms. Pacheco says that she assumes males to be more aggresive because it is more socially expected of them to behave that way. She says that she still needs to do more research on the issue. It is more normative for males to be aggressive. Females are not expected to behave in such a fashion.

+++
Wilfred Lee (G7) wrote:
Is there much of a difference between genders when referring to aggressive driving? I thought women drove as bad as men did. :) Or did I get my facts crossed?

Demographics, I think are not as important as treating this problem as a whole. Instead of why men drive more aggressively than women, we should think about why people drive aggressively. By questioning the difference between men and women we are not trying to find a solution in my opinion, but instead just looking for more why's.

Mr. Lee is trying to get help people see that the main issue should not be why men or women drive badly, but instead why do people in general drive badly. I think he makes a good point, but research on gender differences is not completely useless. I think the findings of such research could be used to extinguish the stereotypes that so many people hold.

+++
Web visitor Brisaacs wrote (November 1997):

I hate to say this but it is usually the people of ethnic backgrounds, women, and older people that can not drive.

Mr. Brisaacs may have made a few observations in his lifetime, but to say what he said is simply generalizing. He says that he believes that people of ethnic backgrounds, women, and elderly drivers are usually bad drivers. He pinpoints specific groups of people to be problematic. He has built up some discriminatory ideas in his brain, and every time that he sees someone who fits into those one of those categories, his stereotypes will be strengthened.

+++
Mr. Shintani (G7) wrote:
I think that this person has a few deep rooted problems that he has to deal with before he can tackle the topic of road rage. Let me see what is this man's problems well I gather from his e-mail that he is a racist, a sexist and he discriminates against the elderly. Did I leave anything out? I don't think that this man can see past his own blind vision to see anything else, so it would be the case that he is a very aggersive driver that is trying to defend his way of driving. I wouldn't doubt that he cuts people off or shows that finger on a regular basis. He should really go to some anger management classes or some form of therapy.

Mr. Shintani sums up the web visitor's comment quite nicely. I'm not sure about the other comments that Mr. Shintani makes about he web visitor. I don't gather that Mr. Brisaacs is automatically aggressive just for saying what he said. To me it does not sound like he is trying to defend anything about his own driving either. From this clip I can only tell that he finds certain people to be bad drivers. Perhaps there was more to his e-mail reply that was not provided in this exchange.
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An Article Examining Gender Differences in Language

Breaking out of Binaries: Reconceptualizing Gender and its Relationship to Language in Computer-Mediated Communication by , Michelle Rodino

The article was inspired by feminist linguists (making it possibly bogus to begin with). Most studies done on gender are done using the bipolar model. The author is saying that using this model contributes to patriarchal systems. People who are more androgynous can end up facing scrutiny for not falling neatly into the male or female categories. Furthermore, those who do fall neatly into the female category are usually considered inferior to men. Women are believed to be socialized to speak in ways that are perceived as weak. The result of this expectation leads to a society that oppresses women. Language differences are an important factor in the societal structure.

Gender in common thought is almost synonymous with biological sex, often thought to be a result of gender. Gender deals with societal and cultural ideas of what it means to be male or female. With the technology of sex change operations, this idea may be examined further. An example of "biological" sex flowing from gender was that of Kate Bornstein's sex change operation. Sex does not always produce gender. Therefore, basing expectations on people because of their sex or gender is not appropriate. Gender is not inherited because of one's biological sex, but it is something that has to be worked on and perfected no matter what sex you are or what sex you're trying to be. Even women and men who are trying to be what they are expected to be are practicing and perfecting, avoiding behaviors that will put their image in danger.

A study was conducted in 1993 that allowed men and women to talk about "issues" on an electronic academic bulletin board. It was found that women contributed most to "personal" discussions while men contributed mostly to talk about "issues." Women's speech was described as being more "personal." Men's speech was termed "authoritative." Other findings suggest that in pseudonymous discussions men displayed mor social interdependence than in real name discussions. Online observation of males and females showed that women and men can communicate in similar ways. It has been argued that men are oppressive of women and controlling in their use of language, but it was displayed in the report that women can also speak to gain attention and keep it. They too can control conversation.

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My Search on Usenet and the Web

Re: re women drivers.

I also drive for a living and can cover approx 300+ miles per day but the
difference is I do not wear blinkers whilst driving. I see bad male drivers
and good ones and the same goes for women. If anybody stands out it Is
usually the older driving 70+ as their reactions are so much slower and
their concentration tends to be poor. You've obviously got a dislike for
women in which case I think you are tapping into the wrong newsgroup.

I drive a powerful car and a bog standard works van and given the chance I
would enjoy rear ending your motor and act out your sterotype of the average
women and pretend I never saw you.

peter booth wrote in message <9rHW2.2096$wi4.816@nnrp2.clara.net>...
>to kc, sitting on the fence i see, predictable woman behaviour that,
>non commital. i drive a granada because i have to, its one of the few
cars
>that i can drive because of my size, and i cont mean because of my head
size
>either. although it is in proportion with the rest of my body, and that is
>pretty damn big. i as i said before drive for a living and see many things
>on my travels. i also see a lot of woman drivers at play, yes i said play.
>because thats exactly what they are doing regarding driving. i do know that
>men are bad at driving sometimes and i see them also. the problem is simple
>and i did mention this before, if it isnt down in black and white then it
>isnt going to happen according to women. for instance, men give way to
>traffic coming towards them uphill, women generally dont. men also give way
>to working vehicles, ie busses, vans and lorries, because we know that they
>have a deadline to keep to, women dont. just a couple of for instances for
>you to chew over at youre next tea morning. there are a lot more to mention
>but i would hate to bore you anymore than i have to. i believe in what I
say
>and will always say what i see, and i believe that there are a lot of men
>out there who know that what i say is correct, but like yourself sit on the
>fence contemplating certain navels. i stand for men who are men not 90s new
>men who are really girls in trousers................powerful
>pierre....................

Summary of this Clipping
This is an exchange where a woman is responding to a man who takes the machismo point of view to driving. He openly puts women down, and he definitely gets a response here. However, I was more dumbfounded by what the woman said. She defintely is our of the stereotype of women drivers. She gives "Powerful Pierre" a powerful response.

Re: Which RV sutable for Female Driver?

Thank you, thank you, thank you. My husband just taught me how to back our
30 ft 5th wheel this past Sunday. Couldn't believe how easy it is. Even I
(raised by a father that didn't teach me about cars and carpentry because I
would marry a man to do these things for me) don't understand why some women
still think that you have to be a man to do some things. I learned how to do
my own tune ups and oil changes 20 years ago because I couldn't afford a
mechanic (was a single mother). I love driving our 3/4 ton diesel truck and
knowing I can and do pull that 5th wheel.

I always love it when I see a reply on this ng from enlightened men that
realize being a woman doesn't translate to helpless or inept. Physically,
no, I'm no man's equal in strength, but I do have a brain and can learn.

Thank you again.
B Simpson
camping101
Mark Kovalsky wrote in message
<7gld2m$4ejc$1@newssvr04-int.news.prodigy.com>..
.>
>jane1999@my-dejanews.com wrote in message
<7gl9jq$rc5$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...
>>Hi All
>>
>>My husband and I are considering a RV. I wonder If any of you can
recommend
>>something that would be easier for a female driver to handle.
>
>
>First, not being a female, I need to know what is different about a female
driver
>that affects her ability to drive certain RVs. I don't understand how
gender has
>any bearing on ability to drive.
>
>Mark '30 Ford Model 'A' '98 Ford Taurus

• '59 Edsel Corsair '99 Mercury Cougar
• > '94 Ford Club Wagon w/7.3L Hypermax Turbo Diesel
• > '98 SunnyBrook 33FKDS Travel Trailer

Summary of this Clipping
This exchange was on the friendlier side. Some good points came up within this discussion. First of all, one woman shared how she is able to change her oil etc. and how she feels great about it. She is a woman who is taking an active part in breaking society's stereotypes. Another thing that came up within this discussion is the idea that there should not be any such thing as a "woman's car." One woman in this exchange was concerned about being able to handle certain RVs. The response that she got from Mark was that gender does not disqualify women from driving any vehicle.

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Search for Articles on ERIC / Uncover Databases

Allen, J. A., Jr. and Soliday, S. M. Age and Sex Factors in the Control of Automobiles. 1972.

Farrow, J. A. and Brissing, P. Risk for DWI: A New Look at Gender Differences in Drinking and Driving Influences, Experiences, and Attitudes among New Adolescent Drivers. Health Education Quarterly, 1990, 17, 213-21.

Bloomfield, G. J. and Kinch, R. Teenager Views on Issues Related to Traffic Safety Education and the Licensing of Teenage Drivers: Results of a Statewide Opinion Survey on Washington Teenage Drivers. Final Report. 1984.

Ogletree, E. J. and Bonk, G. High School Students with Highest Driving Grades Have Worst Driving Record. 1982.

Brick, J. Driving While Intoxicated. 1991.

Ingoldsby, B. B. A Theory for the Development of Machismo. 1985.

Postman, N. and others. Myths, Men, & Beer: An Analysis of Beer Commercials on Broadcast Television, 1987. 1987.

Farrow, J. A. Personality Factors Associated with Driving while Intoxicated: A Comparison Study of Adolescent Drivers. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 1998, 34, 21-32.

Nelson, T. M. and others. Experimental Intercomparisons of Younger and Older Driver Perceptions. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 1992-93, 36, 239-53.

Smith, J. R. Television Violence and Driving Behavior. Educ Broadcasting Rev, 1969, 3, 23-8.

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CSS engine and prior Generations

As I searched through the prior generations I found that the topic of gender and driving is very popular. There were many reports for me to read, in fact, there were too many. Here is a link to a site that has compiled students' reports on gender and driving.

Inkyung Yang's report on gender differences in driving was an excellent source for articles about gender differences. Women have much more to deal with when it comes to gender stereotypes. There were quite a few interesting articles in her report. Her report was one of the first that I visited and after visiting a few more, I decided that I would comment on hers. Women have never been thought to be aggressive, but there was an article she found about a woman who followed a man after he changed lanes in front of her (and he didn't cut her off). She followed him for a few miles and then he pulled into a parking lot; she persisted in following him. When he stopped the car and got out she stabbed him in the chest. Luckily he didn't die. For some odd reason he went to visit her in jail. He said that she has no idea why she got so crazy, and she claims that she has never had a problem controlling her temper. She just lost it. He didn't even press charges against her, in fact he found her to be quite nice. This one article is not a reason to say that all women drivers are aggressive, but it just goes to show that women have the capacity to be as brutal as men.

Another article in her report was about 47 states promoting bumper stickers that say, "Woman Driver on Board." The reason for the sticker is that women tend to engage in such behaviors like applying makeup, talking on the phone, or yelling at children in the back seat while driving. The sticker is supposed to be orange and octagonal in shape. Hawaii was not one of three states listed as not being under this new requirement, which means that women here are supposed to be driving around with these little orange stickers. The article was written in 1998, but I haven't spotted a single sticker yet. Making these stickers mandatory for women to apply on their cars would be unconstitutional and purely sexist.

To read these articles for yourself CLICK HERE! (and scroll down a little)

Ms. Yang did not specify exactly what her position was on gender and driving, but she did say that she does not feel that gender is the key to the differences between men and women in driving.

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Quotes from our Textbook: Beyond Traffic Safety, by J. Peter Rothe

Rothe did not include much information on gender and driving, at least as it pertains to men and women. He did include a few comments on the gender differences in driving behaviors and attitudes in teenagers.

From Chapter 7 "Constructing Traffic Laws"

"…boys are more likely to use the car as recreational vehicles and the streets are more likely to be recreational sites. Risk taking is a vital ingredient in recreation. Girls are more likely to engage in purposive journeys such as running errands or reaching specific destinations for specific reasons. They are less inclined to take lawbreaking risks and more likely to concentrate on orderly, goal-directed driving" (Rothe, 1993).

" A violation commonly committed by young boys is the 'taxi-stop'." Boys thought it to be silly to stop if it was not necessary. Another behavior consistent of boys was to pack cars full of people regardless of the number of seatbelts available. They viewed themselves as obligated to give everyone a ride that needed one (Rothe,1993).

"Girls displayed a greater readiness to stop whenever the law required them to do so, slow down where needed, and accommodate such as seat belt wearing." More girls stopped to think about transporting more passengers than their cars had seatbelts; however, they were also more influenced by the underlying social rule of giving everyone a ride" (Rothe, 1993).

For teenagers, driving is performed for certain audiences. Boys perform their driving skills in front of three different audiences. When driving with friends they are more dramatic, and they are frequently in violation of traffic regulations. When driving with dates they tend to play it cool. And when they drive with parents they put on a "two-hands-on-the-wheel show." Boys admitted to putting on a show, but girls tended to be more consistent in the way they drive. They preferred to "take it easy" no matter who was riding with them (Rothe, 1993).

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Some Concluding Remarks on Gender and Driving

As a result of the research I have done for this report there are several things that I can conclude. Women drivers still suffer from many gender stereotypes and expectations. But on the other hand, there are always going to be women who don't fit the norm, and they have just as much evil potential as any man on the road. I don't know if it's safe to say that women and men are equally bad drivers, but each gender has their faults. In general, each gender has their own set of problematic driving actions. However there are and always will be a few exceptions. Whatever gender you are; I hope you will choose to drive with ALOHA!

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Comparing the Reports Done in our Generation

Karla Hampp and Jason Thomson have done reports on gender and driving. I found that the reports are very organized and good reading. I can see that they have done a lot of research for their reports. They have a good amount of links to articles on their pages. I can see that they have also put some energy into making their reports presentable as well. It has taken me a long time to do the report, so I can appreciate anyone who has finished their report.

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Suggestions for future Generations

I don't think that I could ever say this enough times. START EARLY. Designing an entire report takes a long time, it's not something that you should expect to pull off in a few short hours. Also, use all the resources that are available to you. Students have finished their reports and included links to valuable sources on the internet that contain some of the exact information you are looking for. And last of all, try to make every report better than the last one you did. Strive for excellence, and have fun.

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ike@hawaii.edu