Motor Industry News

A number of urban legends relating to motoring - including those involving women drivers - have been exposed as myths by one website.

Vehicle data checking website mycarcheck.com has compiled a list of myths relating to driving which have been circulating for years.

Among the fables is that of a car's poor performance being connected to the old habit of female drivers - who may be entitled to women's car insurance deals - hanging their handbag over the choke.

The myth has been circulating since the late 1940s, involving a mechanic who cannot find the cause of a problematic car until he notices the female motorist driving away with her bag hanging on the manual choke, the website states.

Another urban legend relates to a female driver being warned that a man is hiding in the back seat of her car. When the woman stops for petrol, she notices the filling station attendant waving frantically at her but she ignores him. When she returns to her vehicle she finds a masked man hiding in the back of her car.

"Almost everybody has one or more of these stories and they seem to happen to a friend of friend," said Roger Powell, the website's general manager.

He added that while most of the myths are harmless tales, others involving trying not to be caught breaking the law can cause trouble, having the potential to put women's car insurance premiums at risk.

A recent survey for the American Automobile Association found that based on number of miles driven, women drivers are 77 per cent less likely to die in a car accident.

Kwik-Fit Insurance was named the cheapest women's car insurance provider in the UK, according to independent research conducted last year.