What Women Want

As the cost of motoring continues to escalate, everyone is feeling the pinch. Consequently, we are battening down the hatches and asking ourselves some serious questions. Do we really need to make that journey? Is there an alternative to using the car? How can we cut back? Short journeys are the worse culprits. Can we walk instead?

Let us be totally honest here. How many of you sit down and read the small print on your motor insurance? Despite all the warnings telling us to do so, I can put my hand on my heart and say ‘no’. When my car insurance renewal quote comes through I go straight to the bottom line to see if the premiums have gone up. If there are no drastic increases, I simply renew, knowing my circumstances have not changed.

I really did not want to mention the outlandish rise in motoring costs though fear of losing the will to live – or drive. However, as a mother and the holder of the purse stings for the family, cutbacks are hot on the agenda. In a desperate quest to make ends meet, I have had to implement some drastic cost cutting measures much to the bemusement of the children.

Ladies, we have to admit to feeling that pang on uneasiness on the odd occasions whilst driving. It could be from being approached by a stranger in a deserted car park late at night or breaking down by the side of the road and having another car pull up next to you. Our little hearts beat faster and that awful feeling of dread envelops us.

I will have to admit, I am not a great fan of satellite navigation systems. I personally find them irritating to use, and distracting when I am trying to concentrate on driving. The voice irks me, sending my stress levels soaring and, to be totally honest, I do not trust the directions. So, on the few occasions I have to use them (because they happen to be fitted on my road-test car that week) I find I am constantly looking down at the screen to double-check the instructions it has given me. Not the best way to drive.

What is going on with the British weather at the moment? We saw a glimmer of summer mid May instantly uplifting everyone’s sprits. That was short lived with rain particularly in the south taking over. They say, “April showers bring May flowers”. Well that should be rephrased to “May showers bring June flowers”. However, I do not know about you, but I seemed to have got caught not in showers, but in torrential downpours last month. The few flowers that dared showed their colours in my garden are so droopy they look like they have drowned.

In our hectic lifestyle it appears we ladies are forgetting to eat before embarking on a journey in the car. Research just out reveals that more than three quarters (84 per cent) of female motorists drive whilst hungry. This is despite the fact that nearly half (43 per cent) admit that it causes them to lose concentration and, for 40 per cent, it increases their tiredness on the road.

Rumours have been flying around for years, suggesting the age for driving a car be increased from the current 17 years of age to 18 years. The idea is to conform with our European counterparts, according to the DSA. Unfortunately, there is a slight contradiction here as many countries across the water allow their 16-year-olds to start learning to drive, although not take a test until they are 18 years of age.

The government has unveiled plans for the biggest shake up to the driving test in a quest to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by novice drivers.

Audi have just launched the most powerful road car they have ever produced. It is even faster than the R8 sport-racing car that won Le Mans in both 2004 and 2005. With a V10 engine in its heart, this road car takes just 4.6 seconds from 0- 62mph as proved by myself in a safe surrounding I hasten to add. Top speed is limited to either 155 mph or if a customer prefers 175 mph. The icing on the cake is that this car produces an incredible 650 Nm of torque.