Car Insurance Due?

Need some help?

Call us on:

0800 197 7081*

Car Insurance

Females' brains "make them better drivers"

Mon, 07 Nov 2005

A difference in the way women's brains work means that they are safer drivers, according to new research.

A study carried out by researchers at the University of Bradford found that women are significantly better than men at avoiding obstacles on the road.

Lower accident rates for women are due to the levels of oestrogen in their bodies, the report found. The sex hormone helps female drivers to switch their attention quickly in order to deal with unexpected problems.

Scientists at the university examined how both men and women responded to a series of images flashed across a computer screen and were required to match specially shaped buttons in response to what they saw.

"Women were twice as good at realising they had to change tasks as men," said researcher, Amarylis Fox.

"Men tend to blindly carry on with the original task."

The research also showed that men are better at spatial tasks, such as parking, since the male hormone testosterone is thought to aid spatial awareness.

Car insurance companies still believe that women are less risky to insure on the road however.

track © Adfero Ltd