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29 March 2024

Men vs Women: Find out who really are better UAE drivers…

Published
By Staff

Numbers, they say, don’t lie. But when the numbers are based on public opinion on whether men or women are better drivers on the UAE’s roads, that’s a surefire recipe for debate split wide open.

A recent survey by 999 magazine, the official publication of the UAE’s Ministry of Interior, polled an equal number of male and female drivers across the country (to minimize the gender bias), and the findings show the gender divide on who rules the roads is as wide as ever.

Nearly half of the 750 (375 men and 375 women) motorists surveyed – 44 per cent – believe men are better drivers, with only 10 per cent insisting women are better behind the wheel.

A good 46 per cent of respondents claim driving has nothing to do with gender.

But that does not conclude the debate – and definitely not in the favour of the masculine gender.

Although nearly half of UAE residents believe gender does not play a defining role in determining who is the better driver – a fact that is reflected in official statistics – a big portion of the public still remains divided about this matter.

In the survey, published in the magazine’s December issue, the stereotypes were firmly in place – 59 per cent agreed that women are generally slow and over-cautious; 67 per cent agreed that men are generally reckless and too fast.

In addition, a third (31 per cent) of respondents felt women were more likely to cause an accident for lack of focus (only 19 per cent said men would do so). But men do cause accidents, and the public perception is that that’s because men indulge in unsafe behaviour on-road (37 per cent said they were more likely to cause accidents by changing lanes without indication; only 20 per cent said women would do so).

When it comes to speeding, men leave women far behind, literally and figuratively.

Asked who was more prone to traffic accidents due to speeding, 69 per cent respondents said men, compared to only 9 per cent who said women.

In addition, a majority 69 per cent of respondents accused men of being aggressive in showing displeasure toward another driver, while 12 per cent countered the perception and 19 per cent said the aggressiveness wasn’t based on gender.

There is one great leveller for the two genders: the use of mobile phone while driving. When asked who was more likely to cause an accident by talking on a phone while driving, 23 per cent said men, and 21 per cent said women while 56 per cent said gender does not play a role.

Lt. Colonel Awadh Saleh Al Kindi, Editor-in-Chief of 999, said: “The 999 Magazine survey reveals interesting results that highlight unfounded perceptions regarding men vs women driving skills.

“Official figures do not show a clear skill gap between men and women drivers. Because driving skills depend on individual personality, awareness and experience and not on gender.”

As far as parking skills are concerned, almost two-thirds of the respondents (63 per cent) agreed with the stereotype that women have poor parking skills while 17 per cent countered that perception. The remaining one-fifth (20 per cent) believe gender has nothing to do with a driver’s parking abilities.

The English 999 magazine is a part of the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of the Interior to provide media coverage for the activities and efforts of the Ministry and Abu Dhabi Police. It also aims to encourage the public to contribute to the reduction of crime and enhancement of safety in the UAE.

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