Women drivers 'more distracted by insects'

Posted :24-08-2007

It seems female drivers are more easily distracted by bees, daddy long legs and other winged insects than their male counterparts and could therefore be at more risk of accidents and elevated car premiums on their women's car insurance.

Research from esure reveals that around 650,000 motorists have been involved in a car accident as a result of having an insect fly into their car causing them to slam on the breaks or take their hands off the wheel to swat it away.

But it also shows that creepy crawlies divert the attention of female motorists more than men, with 78 per cent admitting to being distracted by the antics of a six-legged invader compared to just 70 per cent of men.

With an Indian summer predicted millions of insects are expected to descend on Britain over the coming months as they make up for the lack of warm weather through June and July.

This means women need to be especially careful on the roads as unfortunately bugs cannot be blamed for causing accidents when it comes to making car insurance claims.

Another potential distraction for drivers over the coming weeks could be reaching for a bottle of water or a can of soda whilst behind the wheel in an effort to cool off and re-hydrate.

Research from Privilege Insurance shows that 75 per cent of motorists regularly eat or drink while driving, putting themselves and others at risk.


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