Sarika Sehrawat proved that car racing is not a male-only sport when she won the Raid de Himalaya Car Rally in 2006. Taking a cue from her and other successful female drivers before her, many women have ventured into the male-dominated sport even opting for it as a career. Still the world repeats the frequently asked question – Who are better drivers, men or women?

As in every field, male hegemony runs deep in the psyche of mankind especially when it comes to manoeuvring wheeled rides. It is as if like an unwritten theory, though contentious, that fellow passengers and others who share the road with them feel comfortable and confident when they see gentleman at the steering wheel rather than a woman negotiating hairpin bends and busy city roads.

However, modern day women in general and feminists in particular will not tolerate such a notion and are willing to fight it out tooth and nail to dispel it. They will point out an umpteen number of instances where men have faltered and women have turned out to be more responsible drivers. Almost always, they’re right.

In most of the fatal crashes reported, we see that men have more driver involvement than women. But that’s just because they drive more than women. Here’s a finding that balances thing out – As per a finding, per 10 Lakh miles travelled, women are 12% more likely to crash than men.

Till date, no study has really proved that driving skills vary with gender. Each gender is at risk just the same due to its own unique set of characteristics. While men tend to take more risks to invite trouble, women invite just as much by being over conscious about accidents. Men even let their egos control the driving and often tend to rate their driving ability higher than women. Both men and women can be offered different sets tips for safe driving based on their individuality. After all, defensive driving is an art.

To conclude, there’s no category like a good male driver or a female driver as the classification depends entirely on how you define a “better” driver. Only practice makes a man (woman as well) perfect.