Jokes about women drivers are a bit unfashionable these days, along with those about the mother-in-law. However, despite a move towards more sophisticated comedy we are still running the risk of being included in a stand-up routine.

Why? Because according to a recent survey, female drivers lag behind men when it comes to performing basic car maintenance.

Research by autoquake.com, the UK’s largest online used car retailer, has revealed that more than one in 10 female drivers or 12 per cent never check their car’s oil level. Just less than eight per cent of men confess to the same neglect. Twice as many women as men admit to never checking their tyre pressures while almost one in five say they never check the tread-depth.

Women drivers are also more likely than men to pay someone else to carry out basic maintenance for them. Just more than 14 per cent of women pay to have coolant levels checked compared with five per cent of men. And nine per cent of women pay someone else to check their washer fluid level.

To be honest, I don’t really have a problem with paying someone to do these jobs for me and I fail to see why it’s such a big deal. OK we can and should ALL be ABLE to check our tyre pressures and oil levels, but if you can afford it and you have a busy schedule why NOT pay someone to keep your car safe?

We know that pumping up our tyres or checking the oil level doesn’t require any special mechanical knowledge or muscle power, but maybe we just don’t WANT to do it ourselves. Just because we have the vote it doesn’t mean we have to get our hands dirty.

Of course on a serious note, we are hurtling dangerously towards winter and the inevitable horrendous driving conditions that will inevitably try to ruin our lives like they did earlier this year.

You would think last winter’s blizzards, ice and potholes would have given us all a wake-up call, but no. According to Manheim Auctions, one in four of us (boys included) are failing to prepare properly for winter.

Manheim’s research reveals that a quarter of drivers do nothing to get their car ready for cold weather. Six out of 10 only perform basic tasks like topping up the screen wash with anti-freeze, buying de-icer and carrying an ice-scraper.

So girls let’s not forget the essential kit for any snow stranded situations: Lip balm to prevent chapping Chocolate Back up chocolate Fluffy socks A nice fleecy blanket And a lovely man with a 4x4 to tow us out of the snowy ditch or rescue us when our engines seize because we have been bad lady drivers and not checked our oil...