A survey by AA Motor Insurance has revealed that one in seven women drivers admit to having a poor sense of direction. It also found that 28% of men won't ask for directions.
Over half of women (57% of the 5,300 women asked) say they've got an excellent sense of direction. However 13.4% describe their navigation skills as frustratingly poor; relying on satnav, passengers and forward planning to reach their destination.
Just 4% of the 7,700 male motorists would admit to having a poor dense of direction. At the opposite end of the scale 76.4% of men believe they have a natural ability to find their way and learning new routes.
When it comes to map reading 9.8% of women find it difficult compared with just 1.8% of males. By contrast 56.8% of female drivers and 81% of men consider themselves proficient map readers.
Drivers of both sexes admitted that missing or inaccurate road signs were a source of frustration. Some people complained that Ireland's signs are inadequate and archaic when compared with other European nations.
Women are more likely to stop and ask for directions. Only 31% of men would ask for help and 27.6% of male drivers said they were 'very unlikely' to seek assistance even if they were completely lost.