The story of ‘women behind the wheel are like Death holding a pair of scissors’
The feeling of shock and sorrow still lingers in the minds of many people when reading the news about the accident caused by a female driver of a BMW at a Hanoi (Vietnam) traffic intersection in 2018. Every accident caused by a female driver has resulted in serious consequences.
Recently, another serious accident involving a Mercedes GLC 250 occurred, resulting in one death and one person injured, creating a horrifying scene on that road.
According to some sources, while driving, the Mercedes GLC 250 suddenly accelerated forward, pulling in two motorbikes and a bicycle underneath. The collision was so strong that a woman died on the spot. The incident did not stop there; the black luxury car continued to drag the trapped motorbike under its front for about 10 meters, catching fire fiercely.
At the scene, bystanders noticed a man wearing a Grab driver’s jacket stuck between the two vehicles engulfed in flames. The victim’s trousers began to catch fire. Luckily, a traffic police officer managed to rescue him in time and rushed him for medical treatment. A few minutes later, the fire had engulfed and destroyed both vehicles.
The scene revealed that the driver of the car causing the accident was a woman wearing a black dress, carrying a handbag, and wearing high heels. At the police station, the female driver confessed: While operating the vehicle, she noticed some obstacles ahead and intended to brake. However, due to wearing high heels and not remaining calm, she mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, resulting in a heart-wrenching scene.
From the incidents mentioned above, many people display a lack of respect when discussing women driving. Quite a few people from the opposite gender mock, saying “women behind the wheel are like Death holding a pair of scissors”. However, this is a narrow-minded perspective. Women, just like men, possess the “qualities” required for driving. It’s not that women are incapable of driving, leading to many tragic accidents, but mainly due to a lack of safe driving skills.
So what are the concerns for women that need to be addressed to improve driving safety? The answer lies in high heels and the attitude towards participating in traffic:
High heels – A weakness for women when driving
Most traffic accidents caused by women originate from the factor of “wearing high-heeled shoes”. Normally, high heels are an indispensable accessory to enhance a woman’s beauty with each step. But that’s just on foot; when they climb into a car, high heels become a dangerous factor, increasing the risk of traffic accidents.
Results from a study in the UK involving 2000 female drivers revealed that about 40% of women drive while wearing high heels, and 24% drive barefoot. Driving instructors stated that wearing high heels slows down the reflex to switch between the brake and the accelerator. More dangerously, it leads to women mistakenly pressing the accelerator instead of the brake.
Due to their specific structure, high heels create a gap between the driver’s feet and the pedals. This gap makes it difficult for the driver to accurately sense the space, leading to slipping or mistaking the brake and accelerator pedals. Mistakenly pressing the accelerator when the surrounding vehicles are preparing to stop at a red light can cause a horrifying disaster.
Experienced car users say that the basic skill of using the accelerator and brake pedals is to “shift the heel, rotate from the accelerator to the brake.” This action helps the driver respond to situations more quickly and proficiently. If driving in high heels, the driver must lift their foot to apply the brake, slowing down the action and increasing the chance of pressing the wrong pedal.
The effectiveness of the accelerator or brake pedal depends on the force exerted by the foot. When wearing high heels, it’s challenging for the driver to allocate force precisely. While driving in high heels, you primarily utilize the force at the front of your toes, which makes it difficult to apply enough force to the brake pedal in emergencies. Moreover, the pointed, thin heels easily get caught in the car’s mats or wedged in the brake, hindering control of the vehicle.
Reasons you feel foot pain while driving In addition to high heels, wearing high-top boots, flip-flops, or driving barefoot is also very dangerous. High-top boots make the ankle stiff and less flexible, reducing a woman’s response capacity. Driving barefoot might sound more advantageous than high heels, but in reality, the driver has to exert more force, which could lead to cramps. Additionally, in some cases, sweaty feet can cause slipping, leading to an accident. Meanwhile, flip-flops are easy to slip off and are even more dangerous than high heels.
Experienced car drivers suggest that female drivers can keep a pair of shoes in the car and wear them when driving. These shoes should have certain characteristics: flat soles, not too thick, good friction, and a size suitable for the user’s feet.
Although the specifics of wearing shoes while driving are not explicitly stated in the Road and Railway Traffic Law in Vietnam, during driving exams, trainees are always advised not to wear high heels, high-top boots, or flip-flops while operating a vehicle.
Courage and attitude behind the wheel – What defines the attractiveness of women
Success requires courage, and driving is no different. Courage helps you find solutions to difficult situations and creates a serious attitude while driving. Women face distractions when driving because they tend to multitask. Every day, we witness busy women, driving while using their phones, and sometimes even trying to put on makeup or beautify themselves while behind the wheel.
There are many “urban legends” about women drivers. For instance, beautiful women causing traffic jams by taking advantage of a few seconds at a red light to do their makeup, making people behind honk impatiently when the light turns green. Or a young girl unexpectedly hitting the brakes and “holding the line” with the steering wheel refusing to move on after being startled by a motorbike cutting in front. Then, there’s the story of how it’s very dangerous to drive in high heels – Women are aware of this and have encountered this information at least once, yet they still ignore it, prioritizing fashion or a moment of forgetfulness.
Therefore, women driving need to focus, remain calm, and adhere to general driving rules. At some point, the attractiveness of women does not lie in makeup or high heels but is shown in the courage and attitude while driving a car.
This article highlights the limitations in women’s driving ability. In reality, every accident originates from various causes (both subjective and objective). Identifying the cause to resolve the issue lies within the jurisdiction of the authorities. As for us, as drivers, what’s more important is to learn and execute correct driving skills to ensure safety for ourselves and others on the road.
