Study Says Women Better at Parking Than Men: Let the Discussion Begin
- Posted on February 1, 2012 at 12:33am by
Liz Klimas
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(Photo: BadParking.wordpress.com)
There is often much finger pointing between the sexes when it comes to driving and parking skills. Someone edging a few inches over the parking line into your spot? Chances are that it wasn’t a woman who parked that car — at least according to one study.
MSNBC states that a month-long study in the United Kingdom evaluated the technique, accuracy and time taken to park by 2,500 drivers. Although it may have taken women longer to park, overall they did a better job. Watch MSNBC’s report:
Not only did the report find several differences in performance between males and females when they parked, but it also noted some interesting observations when it came to perception about parking jobs. Men overestimated the time they took to park themselves by nearly double, but more than 75 percent of males questioned tacked on an extra 20 seconds to the time they felt it took women to park.
Comparison of how men and women performed on various parking factors.
“I was quite surprised by the results, because in my experience men have always been the best learners and usually performed better in lessons,” Neil Beeson, senior driving instructor from ITV’s ‘Last Chance Driving School’ documentary, said in the report. “However, it’s possible that women have retained the information better. The results also appear to dispel the myth that men have better spatial awareness than women.
“What the ‘NCP Parking Report’ shows is that us men need to give our partners more respect when it comes to parking. The facts don’t lie.”
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Comments (86)
Cat
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 7:24am…
The office overlooks a small parking area where young females who work for the firm across the lot park their cars
Occasionally, the views are refreshing treats, especially during the summer months, and when trunk lids are opened and the spaces rummaged for an extended time
The cars often leave the lot (expensive or not) with the front spoiler dragging the pavement
Report Post »Actuall saw one female rip the spoiler off her Subaru RSX, three times
Good God Lady … Back it in baby!
old white guy
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 8:15ami don’t know about that but my wife has a serious problem parking and will go to the end of the lot to find a space that has at least two open spaces on each side.
Report Post »TAXEVERYONE
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 8:30amThey may be better at parking, but here they are reckless irresponsible drivers causing the most accidents while on their cellphones!
Report Post »Cat
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 8:30amOld White Guy >
The wife drives a car forward like NASCAR Nelly
Report Post »She actually drives like a defensive motorcyclist
But she CAN NOT (and never will again) back a car into a garage …
Cat
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 9:04amTaxeveyone >
The funniest female I ever saw was at a Toyota dealership repair shop
Report Post »We’re talking young money, complete with designer clothing, expensive heals, gold jewelry up the wazzoo, and a pink cell phone going full blast at the same time she stepped out of her dressed up Toyota Supra with custom rally wheels
The chatter was hilarious and reminded me of the scene in ‘My Cousin Vinny’ where Marisa Tomei was making her point to Joe Pesci
Her car started rolling slowly forward as she turned away and one of the technicians jumped in and stopped the car from rolling across the parking lot
It didn’t phase her one bit as she kept chatting on her cell
The guy next to me was laughing so hard he had to go inside to get some relief
Arbroath7
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 2:38pmThey obviously weren’t watching how women park in in our parking lot! “White line?” as she continues to trowel on her make up, “Oh, were there white lines?” Urphhhh!
Report Post »richard the lion-hearted
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 11:01pmThey probably never took into account the fact that men often lose their temper in a much more physical way and probably, deliberately smashed into a bumper or two because they were boxed in…lol!
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 7:17amBritish women make better Prime Ministers too.
Report Post »4xeverything
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 7:45amHere here!! Better mothers in my opinion too.
Report Post »Bottomgun
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 9:37amWhen I was there, the women told me Yankees are better lovers and preferred over their men and that Yanks don’t drink as much. So maybe there is a reason those British dudes fail at driving, probably too drunk and frustrated to be driving in the first place.
Report Post »Kaoscontrol
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:01pmmaybe, but history shows they make a terrible ‘Speaker of House’.
Report Post »Patrick Henry II
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 7:11amlol…hahahaha. yah right. maybe more law abiding in parking but not better. Rare to see a woman take two parking spaces at the far end of the lot to protect a muscle car. Can we say parallel parking? Sorry women.
Report Post »Katydidnt
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 10:01amThat’s what I was thinking. I have known guys who deliberately take up two spaces so noone can ding the sides of their “baby”. I think men are better at the mechanics of parking, but women are the more considerate parker regarding staying in your space.
Report Post »MittensKittens
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 7:07amOh Please, we all know the men in the UK are morons at best anyway…and just because Brian “a$$munch” Williams reports it, doesn’t make it news either.
You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealth out of prosperity.
Report Post »Quiata
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 6:54amThis study fails to distinguish the difference between “careful” and “efficient”. Maybe in Britain these are synonymous…that would explain a lot!
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 6:53am.
Report Post »Park better? Hell my wife needs GPS to back out the driveway. I have gotten out of the car and walked away, while she tried to park……
VermontPatriot
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 6:08amDo I care how well someone parks? Not particularly. I care how well they drive.
I have been in driving jobs since 1990. I have driven all over VT, from the biggest cities to the most rural backwoods areas. Here is the Top 3 for Worst Drivers in VT.
Top 3 Worst Drivers in VT.
1) Women drivers. At least once a week, and often more than that, I have to dodge, avoid,
maneuver around, or pass, a woman driver that is doing something that makes her dangerous. Young, old, it doesn’t matter, I see a woman driver and my guard goes up. Unpredictable and dangerous.
2) The Elderly. Not all elderly, but enough for me to stereotype them. Many are so busy just driving the car, they are unaware of what is actually going on around their car. Not as dangerous as women drivers, but when I see them, my guard goes up.
3) Anybody in a Subaru. I swear, people that drive Subarus are often terrible drivers. I see a Subaru, my guard goes up.
There you have it. My unofficial study of drivers in VT based on over 20 years of driving on VT roads and highways.
Report Post »Quiata
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 6:48amHave you noticed anything odd about those people driving dark blue cars? Especially navy blue sedans….THE slowest, least responsive drivers on the roads.
Most aggressive award goes to dark/black SUVs and pickup trucks (especially with tinted windows).
Most frantic drivers tend to be family mini vans (frequently driven by angry women– sorry, gals!)
Report Post »rgalunas
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 5:38amDoes that include Asian women too? hehehe hahaha love
Report Post »decendentof56
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 6:03amDoes anyone actually ‘watch’ Brian Williams?
Report Post »He’s so probing with the really important issues! Great job, Brian.
Dougral Supports Israel
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:46amI can‘t speak to statistics at large but it doesn’t play out that way in my home. I am better at parking than my wife and she has had many more “incidents” in her driving career than I have.
Report Post »decendentof56
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 5:58amBrian Williams……..Could not call out BHO for going to a racist church in ‘08, but can spend time talking about who is the better at parking a car. Unbelieveable!
My two cents on the issue (FWIW):
I’m NOT comenting on mall parking here, as parallel parking is the real test. It seems ANYONE can take two spaces at the mall.
This report is complete nonsense. Most (not all) women cannot back into a parallel parking space, as they don’t grasp the concept of using the rear-view mirrors. This leads to not knowing how turning the steering wheel will effect which way the rear will go when backing up.
I have rarely seen a woman pull up alongside the car in front of the open spot just the right amount and cut her car in successfully on the first attempt. I HAVE seen, many times, women attempt to pull headfirst into a space, especially if it is a large space. That is because they know they cannot judge backing up.
ONE TIME I witnessed a woman parallel park on the first try. She obviously knew what she was doing, and I was impressed. She never hesitated for a second. Very sharpe!
That said, I have to admit that some men are pathetic at parking, too.
Fortunately, for me, I had an advantage. I grew up on a farm, drove just about anything you can imagine, including tractor-trailers, raced motorcycles but, I will admit, had some close calls.
My take is that drivers licenses are way too easy to obtain, and penalties way too soft for reckless or inattentive driving
Report Post »Conservative New Yorker
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 12:40pm@ Descendent-
LOL I’m a female who was taught to drive by a professional driving school instructor. He taught me and had me practice parallel parking til the cows came home- (pulling up next to the car in front of the space, etc).
You haven‘t had a road test until you’ve done it in NYC traffic (not midtown mind you). A test of skill AND nerves, I tell ya’! lol
Report Post »May Clark
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:39amThis seems like a made-up report to further divide men and women and to distract them from our election crisis. Remember who the enemies are – we are not in a battle of the sexes – we are in a battle to save our nation and world.
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:26amDoesn’t upset me one little bit. NBC, Brian Wilaiams- say NO miore! Bring that same study to America, put thedrivers in a home Depot or Costco lot, put a woman behind the wheel and bring out the stop CALANDER.
Report Post »Legal Immigrant
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:03amYes they are better at parking.
Lift skirt and wiggle.
Oh. Parking the car…
Report Post »dr_funk
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:15amI like how this study defines what “better” parking is.
If it takes you 35 minutes to parallel park your car, I don’t care how straight it is, you failed miserably.
Being good at parking means you are BOTH quick and accurate. I rarely have to take multiple shots at a space unless I’m in the truck and the spaces are small or some woman parked her van too close to the line.
If it takes you 5 minutes to park and un-park, even if you park it perfectly straight, how is that superior to taking 10 seconds to park and un-park, spending 2 minutes in the store, and ultimately leaving the spot occupied for less time?
Report Post »ldaopines
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:47amI actually rear-ended my own husband on our way to get the Jeep Cheroke serviced and crumpled both of our vehicles. He took the hit at the stoplight and didn’t get out or even turn his head, knowing who it was.
Anyway, the parking thing…parallel parking was the only thing I failed in my driving test. But I will say that I know people sometimes don’t want to find the “best” parking space or park between the lines because they want to avoid other cars/dings/shopping carts. By parking over a line, you block others from using a neighboring slot. I park clear out in the south 40 because my husband and I have both been dinged 3 times in tight parking lots, sometime from someone backing out, and sometimes when we weren’t even in our parked car. The survey results wouldn’t show these reasons for parking behaviors.
Report Post »Socialism_Is_The_New_Black
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:42amCan’t see the forest for the trees or just trying to prop up the self-esteem of the opposite sex? Look at the numbers. LOOK AT THE NUMBERS! I could tell you about this before looking at the numbers. The men are driving faster than the appropriate speed and just dive bombing in. Women can be more OCD worrying about every fine detail. So what if men park a few degrees askew. Women might be more precise but men are more efficient according to this study.
Report Post »robert0418
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:20amWoman and men are different or did you not notice..As for driving and parking my thoughts are
Report Post »they are alike..There are studies both ways, lets stop spending dollars or Pounds on the foolish
stuff if we are to do surveys and studies lets do them on how to cut costs..or how to spell “SCHOOL”
in a school zone….
sos
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:14amIf you define parking as making out in the back seat, then I would agree with this study.
Report Post »Captain Crunch
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 2:15amWell…what do you expect from a country where everyone drives on the wrong side of the road?
Report Post »db321
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 2:29amMost people that park on the white line did not go to college – I learned in College not to park on the line after my 10th ticket. I was a slow learner.
Report Post »ElPzee
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 1:45amThis might be true in BIZZARO WORLD. Where up is down, left is right, evil is good, and Romney actually has a chance of beating Obama!!
Report Post »welovetheUSA
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 1:45amWell, my husband and I both drive trucks….I can honestely say he’s better than I. Besides who can’t park one of these little clown cars out there?
Report Post »VictorVictim
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 1:32amI think we‘re about to get a pretty good idea of the gender metrics of ’The Blaze’ judging by those poll numbers up there
Report Post »carlylauren
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 2:51ami was thinking the exact same thing. Though I am definitely a great driver and parker, i do have a tendency to speed and take turns too fast, but i would agree with any study that concedes the ‘better’ result to women.
Report Post »AxelPhantom
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 1:28amLet‘s just take a look at my husband’s driving record and mine.
Despite driving 10x the miles he does… Me: 1 speeding ticket lifetime, 1 accident lifetime (got rear ended) Him: in the last five years, 5 speeding tickets, two totaled cars and 2 accidents. I rest my case.
Report Post »dr_funk
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:16amHow much highway driving do you do compared to your husband?
Report Post »GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 1:02amOhhhh come on!!!!…what about the real life and facts?…..did they study real people or just imaginary people?
Report Post »randy
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 12:55amEverything that’s going on in the world, and they have notting better to study?
Report Post »How about the effects of muslims taking over like a cancer?
mccracken
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 1:46amYou’ve got muslims on the brain.
Report Post »ldaopines
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:54amWe can walk and chew gum at the same time. Don’t worry, no one is forgetting about the spread of Islam. A little fun injected here and there is an OK thing. Sometimes it’s all too heavy…
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 5:40amHow the hell did muslims get into this story?
Report Post »JP4JOY
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 12:53amCome on. MSLSD reported on this? A UK study? Done by women most likely. My wife can’t back up 30 feet without freaking out.
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 5:42amIts either that, the republican’s newfound cannablistic efforts OR actually report on the crapola flowing out of DC.
Report Post »ModerationIsBest
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 12:37amI don’t care about a car that is going 0 MPHs, I care about cars that are actually in motion at high speeds.
Report Post »