Eric Thompson writes that testosterone level has a direct bearing on driving skill - it seems to make it worse.
I have recently returned from a work trip to the Gold Coast to check out a number of things including the forthcoming Gold Coast 600 - the third endurance round of the Australian V8 Supercar series.
Part of the trip was to a V8 driving school. While in no way
suggesting that learning to drive a bellowing V8 around a secure racetrack is a bad thing, it did get me thinking.
For some of those on the trip, who had no interest in motorsport, it may have been better to teach them some defensive driving tips or put them on the skid pan.
On my return I began to think more about this and it reminded me of an incident that happened to me last year.
I was at a barbecue and as always the conversation turned to cars and the "my appendage is bigger than yours" scenario.
One of the blokes turned to me, knowing I do a spot of motor racing reporting, and wanted to know what I drove. I told him a Honda Civic.
He then wanted to know why I drove such a "piss-anty" car if I covered motor sport, and informed me he drove a BMW seven series.
My reply was I knew the difference between a well-balanced, good handling, quick car, and a price tag.
Needless to say he no longer wanted to speak to me, but it made me think. Why buy a big, fat, fast car when you don't know how to drive it?
Some dealerships offer driving courses at a race-track if you buy a Ferrari, Porsche or Maserati.
But I can tell you from experience, learning to drive on a race-track has absolutely no bearing on driving on a public road.
For a start, what the hell's the use of learning how to attack a double-apex corner flat out using the whole track on the exit with no one coming the other way?
I've found over the years, the higher the car's price tag, the less likely the middle-aged company director will be able to drive it properly.
Following on from that, I think I've finally come to grips with how to drive in Auckland. Treat the roads like a race-track. Traffic lights are merely there to replicate the lights on a grid and stop signs are to let drivers know a sharp bend is ahead. Just like V8 racing, wing mirrors are used to gauge how close you can get to the wall, or this case, parked cars.
The elderly, infirm, children or animals are merely something to aim at as you tip the car into the next corner or exit on the wrong side of the road.
And as for trying to merge you may as well be part of a Formula One race.
No one's going to give up their place to let you in.
Well, I decided to change the last bit of driver thinking, and went out of my way to let someone in earlier this week at an intersection.
In slow-moving traffic I spotted an old boy in a Nissan who looked like he'd been waiting for a while.
I stopped and flashed my lights to indicate he could pull in front of me. He first looked in the opposite direction to see whom I was flashing at, and then back to me with a vacant stare.
I then waved my hand to indicate he enter the traffic but I was greeted with a look of utter incomprehension and he raised his shoulders in that "what do you want me to do" type of shrug.
By now drivers behind me are leaning on their horns and issuing forth with verbal abuse.
Finally the lights came on in his eyes and he put his foot down, rocketing out into the traffic and nearly rear-ended the car in front of me a la Mark Webber and Heikki Kovalainen.
All highly amusing, but a little worrying that a simple act of driver kindness almost caused a whole lot of mayhem.
