KOCHI: Everytime I hit the road, it feels as if an entire gender’s reputation is at stake,” smiles Riya Cherada while speaking about driving on Kerala roads.
The graphic designer based in Thiruvananthapuram has been riding a Bullet for a few years. She enjoys the freedom of movement it offers. But, as she heads to work every day, the thought of stereotyping women as clumsy on the road irks her.
“To be honest, I, too, am guilty. If a car in front of me is going slow, I assume it might be a woman. And I tell myself, ‘So, let me not honk and fluster her….’ However, my assumptions have gone wrong many times. Anyone could have a bad day. But we assume the culprit is a woman.”
Babita Miriam Jacob, an adolescent counsellor from the capital city, echoes similar sentiments. The 43-year-old took to driving only in her 30s. “I bought a car in 2018. Now I am a natural. I am confident that come hell or high water, I will reach my home safely,” she says.
“However, there is this internal prompting to be extra careful on the road. Because my mistake will reflect on every woman driver out there, something a man never has to bother about. I think there are still people who believe driving is a male vocation.”
Her sister, she adds, is scared to drive despite having a licence. But her brother has been driving since he turned 18. “He learnt on his friends’ vehicles. Well, that is where it all starts. Men have the privilege of gaining early road practice. Not many women get the opportunity,” says Babita.
“How many parents think about getting their girl child a two-wheeler when she turns 18?” Anna Thoams, 32, from Kochi, scoffs at the stereotype. “It’s the men who are the problem,” she fumes. “When they see a woman driving, their bias starts kicking in. Not all, but there are many men who get aggressive when they spot a woman at, say, a traffic signal. They start honking, and gesturing. Some even try to intimidate.”
She believes men’s egos get ruffled when they see a woman ahead of them. “They think the road is theirs and women are encroaching on their space,” Anna laughs. “I had a bad experience today. I was driving and my husband was sitting beside me. An autorickshaw suddenly swerved in front of my car, and I had to slow down. The driver in the car beside me rudely gestured at me though he clearly saw that it was the autorickshaw guy’s fault. I guess his natural inclination was to deride me.”
Well, there are counterviews, too. Some people argue that there is a reason for the stereotyping. “From my 26 years of experience driving on Indian roads, I have concluded that a majority of women drivers are selfish on the road, inconsiderate about other motorists, and ignorant about the mess they create,” says Manoj Mathew, a 45-year-old pastor from Thodupuzha.
He believes women tend to get paranoid while driving. “I agree such characters exist among men as well. But if you compare the genders, you will see why there is stereotyping,” he says. “Another thing that I have noticed is that many women taking to the road look at only what is in front of them; they pay little attention to vehicles behind or beside them. I am scared of women drivers. I take extra care while overtaking if the vehicle in front of me is driven by a woman.”
S N Krishna, of Kochi, disagrees with the observation that women drivers are ‘dangerous’. He, however, believes women drivers tend to get easily flustered. “It could be because of the aggression they face,” he adds. “Also, I feel some women are ignorant about lane driving, and the need to give way to vehicles looking to overtake. It can get quite irritating when some women drag their vehicle right through the middle of the road.”
Krishna, however, quickly admits that his “preconceived notion” could be at play. “Maybe, men, too, do the same. But that does not cause similar scorn,” he says. He also adds that his wife is a better driver than him. “She used to get nervous initially, but is a ‘puli’ on the road now,” he smiles.
Expert speak
Rojin Soman, owner of Medayil Motor Driving School in Thiruvananthapuram, dismisses the idea that women are inferior to men behind the wheel. “That said, road practice is important — be it any gender,” he says. But why are women ridiculed more often than men? “Avanmarude moda (belligerence),” he snaps, lambasting men who put down women.
However, Rojin adds that some women tend to be diffident while driving. “See, if you bring girls up with numerous restrictions, how would they not be scared?” he asks. “No one learns to drive without making mistakes. And no one can claim to be perfect. Everyone, whatever their gender, improves their skills the same way — driving on the road. Many ‘ace drivers’ who mock others forget that they were also once a novice.”
Ronin, too, points to the male ego. “Some men think they are better than everyone around them. This reflects during training sessions, too. Women, who are generally more cautious, keenly follow instructions. But men tend to be reckless. They just take out the vehicles on the road, and after a few hits, learn their own way,” he says.
This recklessness is probably why Kerala roads have turned chaotic, says private driving instructor Santhosh Kumar of Tripunithura in Kochi. “No one respects the rules. No one cares about keeping the lanes or signalling at necessary times. But everyone knows how to honk,” he fumes.
Santhosh gives personal training to people who have a vehicle and licence but are not confident to drive. And not surprisingly, the majority of his students are women. “The quality of training at many of the driving schools is not up to the mark. Driving is not like a certificate course,” he says.
“It is on the road that everyone learns. And it’s a never-ending process. My advice to women, and even nervous men, is to avoid getting flustered about the loud honks or what people would think about. Everyone was once a learner, continues to be a learner.”
What does the data say?
A recent study by the state economics and statistics department indicates that men are 13 times more likely to meet with accidents than women. The study titled ‘Road Accidents in Kerala’ released in July took Ernakulam as a sample, as the district recorded the highest number of accidents between 2018 and 2022. Ernakulam also has the highest percentage of women drivers in Kerala. While over 56,000 men met with accidents, 4,379 females and 5 transgender people were involved in accidents in Ernakulam in the five-year period.
The study attributes the skewed ratio to the driving styles — while men speed ahead, women tend to drive at lower speeds and overtake more carefully. The report also notes that while men may perform difficult manoeuvres with skill, they are more likely to drive under the influence of alcohol.
Of the 150 under-18 drivers involved in road accidents in the district, only 6 were women. In the 30-plus age category, 3,030 drivers were involved in mishaps. Of these, only 56 were women. Among women, a higher rate of accidents was observed in the 26–35 (1,254 cases) and 36–45 (1,282 cases) age groups.
‘Offences rare among women’
Rajesh A R, Motor Vehicle Inspector, Ernakulam
Women make for only about 1 or 2 per cent of the cases I have booked. This could be because the number of male drivers is higher. Offenses are rare among women. It is mostly men who get booked for using mobile phones while driving, drunk/rash driving, and overspeeding. Women are mostly caught for not wearing helmets in the case of two-wheelers. Women are in no way inferior when it comes to driving. However, they get defensive or extra cautious on the road, especially women who started driving in the late 30s or 40s. Maybe due to fear, they drive slowly. Some also seem to have trouble with mirror/ signal coordination. That said, young women these days are more confident and zip through with good driving skills.
Data speak
According to a study by economics and statistics department, while over 56,000 men met with accidents, 4,379 females and 5 transgender people were involved in accidents in Ernakulam between 2018 and 2022
(Some names have been changed)