Applying make up at the wheel is a no no!

Women who touch up their make-up while driving are a threat to road safety.

Recent research by a UK-based women’s motor insurer has revealed that about one fifth of the UK’s 15-million female motorists have touched up their mascara while behind the wheel and that nearly 500 000 car crashes in that country each year are caused by women drivers while applying make-up.

However, the findings show that it’s young women who are the main culprits; 27% of women who admit to applying make-up in the car are aged between 17 and 21, and 9% of those aged 18 or younger have actually had a crash while doing so. This is compared to 6% of women aged 56 and older who confess they’ve applied make-up while driving. A mere 0.5% of women in this age category have actually caused an accident while applying cosmetics behind the wheel.

Robyn Farrell, managing director of 1st for Women Insurance Brokers, says the UK insurer’s research indicates a worrying trend amongst young women to engage in risky behaviour on the road.

“Statistically, women are lower insurance risks than men based on the fact that they take fewer risks, make more careful decisions, usually stick to the speed limit and frown upon road rage. In addition, the cost of repairs to vehicles crashed by women is on average lower than the costs of damage caused by men.

“However, based on this UK study, it appears that younger women are inclined to take careless risks on the road. Applying cosmetics on the road is a major distraction, perhaps more so than eating or talking on a cellphone while driving,” says Farrell.

A separate UK study conducted earlier this year found that seven out of ten drivers believe that applying make-up while driving should lead to an automatic ban.

“Fortunately, the majority consensus is that it’s a highly dangerous pursuit. 1st for Women obviously discourages such risky practices at the wheel. It’s a threat to road safety, it’s a threat to our reputation for being safer drivers, and it’s a potential threat to women’s access to cheaper motor insurance for being lower-risk drivers,” concludes Farrell.