Men vs Women

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.