Ep 6. Driving in Heels

In MythBusters season 12 episode 6 titled "Driving in Heels," hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman take on the popular belief that women are worse drivers than men. The hosts are joined by guest stars, Kari Byron, Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara as they try to either prove or debunk the myth.

The episode starts off with the hosts discussing the stereotype that women are bad drivers. They point out that there are plenty of women who are professional drivers and that the stereotype is not backed up by any empirical data. However, they acknowledge that there is a belief in the stereotype and decide to put it to the test.

The team starts by conducting a driving study in a controlled environment. They bring in a group of male and female drivers and have them take a driving test. The test includes various challenges, such as parallel parking, navigating through an obstacle course and driving on a busy road. The MythBusters monitor the drivers' performance and measure their success rate.

After the initial driving test, the hosts analyze the results and find that there is no significant difference between the performance of male and female drivers. Both groups have similar success rates and seem to perform equally well on the driving challenges.

To further investigate the belief that women are bad drivers, the team conducts a series of driving experiments. They set up scenarios that are typically associated with women drivers, such as driving in high heels, trying to park a large vehicle, and navigating through a busy intersection.

In the first experiment, the MythBusters test whether driving in high heels impairs a driver's ability to control a vehicle. They bring in a group of female drivers and have them drive a car while wearing high heels. To their surprise, the MythBusters find that driving in high heels does not seem to affect a driver's ability to control a vehicle. The female drivers were able to drive just as well in high heels as they were in flat shoes.

Next, the hosts investigate whether women are worse at parking large vehicles. They bring in a truck and have the female drivers attempt to park it in a tight spot. The MythBusters find that the women are just as capable of parking the truck as the male drivers.

Finally, the team sets up a busy intersection and has male and female drivers navigate through it. They measure the drivers' reaction times, ability to read road signs and overall awareness of their surroundings. Once again, the results show no significant difference between the performance of male and female drivers.

Throughout the episode, the hosts also dispel other driving myths, such as the the belief that red cars get pulled over more often and that hands-free talking while driving is safe.

In conclusion, the hosts of MythBusters season 12 episode 6, "Driving in Heels," put the belief that women are worse drivers than men to the test. Through controlled driving experiments and tests, they find that there is no significant difference between the driving abilities of men and women. The episode serves as a reminder that stereotypes are often unsupported by empirical data and can be harmful.