Women drive home a point

H. Kishie Singh

It’s Bernie Ecclestone, the F1 Supremo and he is at it again. If the conversation opens with the words, ‘Bernie says,’ be rest assured something unpleasant and controversial follows. Chances are the remarks are aimed at the fair sex.

The latest, ‘Bernie says,’ was at the Advertising Week European and sure enough it kicked up a storm. “I don’t know whether a woman would physically be able to drive an F1 car quickly and they wouldn’t be taken seriously!”

It caused public outrage, but Bernie doesn’t care a hoot. Bernie says things to make sure that the world does not forget him. His best of the worst was when he compared women to domestic appliances. Rather miffed at the latest ‘Bernie says’, I asked Gul Panag what her take was on this outburst.

Said Gul, “The world is full of MCP’s and their misogynistic views. Sad to see a visionary like Bernie join the ranks. It’s precisely gender stereotyping like this that places women at a disadvantage by propagating and perpetuating the vicious cycle of gender imbalance”. Gul Panag is the only Indian woman to have raced an F1 car.

The Team Chief of Sauber F1 Racing is Monisha Kaltenborn. Born in Dehradun, she is at the pinnacle of her career competing with men. 

F1 is the most aggressive and competitive sport, on and off the track. It is also the most expensive. Taking note of such celebrities, Bernie did have a good word for the ladies! Bernie says, “Women are more competent and they don’t have massive egos!” And it is exactly these qualities that make women better drivers.

This has become a universal truth that women are better drivers than men. Consider two facts. One: Women are hardly involved in road rage. Two: Take the statistics from any country and it will show that the number of insurance claims by men drivers far exceed those claimed by women drivers. Conclusion, and a logical one — women are better drivers. 

It must be kept in mind that the driver is the key factor in every auto-crash. Sorry gentlemen! This round goes to the ladies.

While on the subject of F1, high speeds and safe driving in F1 speeding is not considered dangerous. Speed is actually the raison d’être for Formula 1. The faster you go the better chance of winning. As such, the F1 cars race at speeds close to 300kmph. This may sound dangerous but here again, the safety factor is paramount. Even after a crash, the driver clambers out of the cock-pit and saunters away, helmet casually tucked under the armpit. 

Dangerous driving is not just driving faster than the speed limit posted. 

Driving is dangerous when you drive faster than what suits the road conditions. Visibility reduced by fog, mist, snow, monsoon downpour and the ever-present pot holes.

Thus speed limit is not a constant. These limits are set by road-traffic management experts. These are speed limits for ideal conditions, dry roads, no pot holes, no cattle, dogs or women with bundles of fire-wood crossing the road. School children in the city are a particular hazard. 

And Bernie’s most sensible remark —  “Think before you drive!”

Happy motoring!