Women drivers 'miss warning signs'

WOMEN drivers are dashboard dunces when it comes to recognising warning symbols in their cars.

New research shows that one in two hasn't the foggiest idea of what some dashboard signs mean.

Despite the average motorist spending 360 hours a year behind the wheel, as many as 42 per cent of motorists cannot identify common dashboard symbols, according to the poll by AA Personal Loans.

Almost half of women and one third of men could not correctly identify symbols for frequently used functions or basic warning lights.

Researchers asked 1,700 drivers to identify symbols such as the handbrake warning light, full beam headlight, front windscreen wash and wipe and rear fog light.

The revelations show that 39 per cent of women and 28 per cent of men were unable to correctly identify the warning lamp for the main beam headlight warning lamp suggesting that they may regularly unwittingly dazzle oncoming traffic.

Two thirds of women could not correctly identify the front windscreen washer and wipe symbol, one in five admitting they had no idea what it signified, compared to one in 20 men.

Handbrake

Just 38 per cent of women compared to 65 per cent of men were able to correctly identify the warning lamp indicating high coolant temperature - yet ignoring this could lead to engine damage.

Twelve per cent of women and seven per cent of men admitted they had no idea what the handbrake warning light was. A third of women drivers wrongly identified this symbol, compared to just on in five men.

More than two thirds of women and 44 per cent of men could not correctly identify the rear fog light symbol, with one in five women admitting to having no idea what it meant.

The most commonly identified symbol in the survey was the oil pressure warning lamp.

A total of 85 per cent correctly identified this symbol, but women still lagged behind men with 78 per cent being correctly able to identify this symbol, compared to 91 per cent of men.

Lloyd East, ofAA Financial Services, said: "More women than men are now buying second-hand motors.

"It's worrying so many female motorists are in the dark over some of the most common dashboard symbols."

Rear fog lights?

I was like "what a bunch of absolute morons" until I got to the rear fog light part. Rear fog lights? WTF? Is this some kind of limey bullshit?

Whats wrong with those men!?!?!  

Quoted: Rear fog lights?

Full beam headlight?????

European cars have a "rear fog light". It is a red lensed light (on the right side?) that is as bright or brighhter than the brake lights. It's there to make the car more visible from the rear in inclement conditions.

it's called reading the manual! jeez society yet again disappoints!

This is a result of all the international crapola.   It would be nice to see WORDS instead of symbols on so much of the equipment these days.  The copier buttons are like that, too, in a lot of cases.  Infuriating sometimes.

Consequently, people waste their time figuring out what the symbols mean when if it was expressed in words  instead, we could act quicker.  And they aren't really standardized, either.  When I got a car that was without an owners manual, it took a long time to figure out what one of the things meant.

What this only shows is that women may have more difficulty figuring out these pictograms.

I have trouble sometimes, too.

And from my road observations, using the symbols hasn't helped many of the other-language poeple drive any better.

My neighbor had me replace a headlight bulb because she was convinced the high-beam was burned out.  After taking care of it, I realized that the real problem was that she didn't know how the switch worked.  My mistake for assuming that she did, and not checking it personally before replacing it.  

Quoted: it's called reading the manual! jeez society yet again disappoints!

Reading the manual is for the French.

I remember when "idiot lights" were much more rare. You were supposed to be able to read actual gauges.

Then they made warning lights, that had a written message, "brake", "alt", "temp", etc. Some were yellow, some were red depending on thier importance.

Then they got rid of the writing, and went with graphichal warning lights, claiming they were easier to understand.

Every time they have "dumbed down" the instruments, the idiots have dumbed down at least as much.

Quoted: This is a result of all the international crapola.   It would be nice to see WORDS instead of symbols on so much of the equipment these days.  The copier buttons are like that, too, in a lot of cases.  Infuriating sometimes. Consequently, people waste their time figuring out what the symbols mean when if it was expressed in words  instead, we could act quicker.  And they aren't really standardized, either.  When I got a car that was without an owners manual, it took a long time to figure out what one of the things meant. What this only shows is that women may have more difficulty figuring out these pictograms. I have trouble sometimes, too. And from my road observations, using the symbols hasn't helped many of the other-language poeple drive any better. My neighbor had me replace a headlight bulb because she was convinced the high-beam was burned out.  After taking care of it, I realized that the real problem was that she didn't know how the switch worked.  My mistake for assuming that she did, and not checking it personally before replacing it.

Can't do that. Might offend someone who didn't speak whatever language the words were in.

Graphical symbols:

Its called economies of scale.  One instrument panel (hence one part number) for the world (basically).



How many of you do NOT understand the no-smoking symbol or the fasten seat belt graphic?

The headline could have just as well read "People are Dumb."