Confidence, caution and competence in drivers

I might be gender stereotyping but I can’t help but feel that with some male drivers there’s an assumption that once they’ve passed their test they’ve somehow “arrived” as complete, expert drivers.

Yes, passing your test is a truly important landmark, and rite of passage, and is proof of basic proficiency, but it takes years and years of mile upon mile to truly “arrive” as a driver, and even then it would be a mistake to think that you can’t improve and have therefore stopped learning.


Continuing to work at things is what makes the difference between being “good” and “great”. For example, you’re unlikely to get a cheap car insurance deal if you just plump for the first one that comes you’re way - you’ve got to do your homework.

All great things take work, whether they are relationships and friendships, careers, works of art, feats of engineering or healthy, happy families.

Of course, not all women drivers are immune from the mistake of believing that by simply passing their driving test they have become super drivers, but I’d be willing to bet that in general women are more likely to express a willingness to learn than men - perhaps it’s just because we don’t have the pressure of having to appear macho and omnipotent.

A spokesperson from the Institute of Advanced Motorists says that drivers should think in terms of "professional development and not assume that once they have passed the driving test that is all they need to do for the rest of their lives”.

I completely agree, but that said, it is important to remember the role of confidence. It’s always going to be about finding a balance between confidence, competence and caution, as a nervous driver is unlikely to be a good one.

Image by tejvanphotos via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

Labels: cheap car insurance