Shattering myths
Popular prejudices often take on a life of their own and become axiomatic. One of the hoariest gender stereotypes is that women are poor drivers. How often have we cursed when someone cuts into a lane, and if it turns out to be a woman driver, we just shrug knowingly as if this was only to be expected. This isn’t limited to India; worldwide, women who drive have to bear the brunt of jokes and criticism.
But the Delhi police has now found in a survey that women cause a very tiny percentage of road accidents. This effectively blows those notions out of the water. The fact that Delhi drivers are in a class by themselves and don’t believe in rules makes this achievement even more creditworthy. It can’t be easy avoiding other drivers, careless pedestrians who jaywalk and the occasional cow which wanders in front of a car. If women still manage to drive safely it can only be due to good driving skills. Which only means that common perceptions are faulty.
If this longstanding belief has been shattered, what else might be untrue? Despite the onslaught of political correctness, cultural biases abound. But confronted with hard facts, we must reconsider them. So maybe the myths of nagging mothers-in-law, dumb blondes and indolent teenagers are all false. The next time the woman of the house sets out with the car, don’t roll your eyes and pray it comes back undented. Thanks to the Delhi police, we know it’s simply not true.
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