Women drivers are in a spin over a Tory councillor's claims that they are not strong enough to handle four-wheel drive cars.
Bingley councillor Colin Gill - who says he won't let his wife have a 4x4 - claims the cars are dangerous fashion accessories.
But his comments have been branded "nonsense" by fuming women, fellow councillors, transport experts, the police, and rally champion Stephanie Simmonite, who along with her sister Rachael is three-times British Ladies Rally Champion.
The row erupted following comments made by Coun Gill at a meeting of Bingley Road Safety Committee. In the minutes of the meeting he was reported as saying: "Middle-aged women in 4x4 cars were the major cause of car accidents."
Speaking afterwards he said: "The discussion was about children being picked up outside schools by mothers in four-wheel drives. The problem is that they can't always see out when they are reversing. Women in these big, tall cars can't see little people running around the back of them.
"Women are not physically strong enough to drive them in awkward conditions. They find it hard to pull the wheel round. You only have to stand outside places like the National School in Park Road, Bingley, when there are kids running round, to witness it, especially when they start reversing out in a tight spot.
"It's a wonder more people are not killed. These cars are a fashion and a dangerous one. My wife wants one but I've told her she can't have one."
High-powered business woman Kath West, 50, of Baildon, has driven four different 4x4 vehicles in 14 years including a Range Rover, a Land Rover and a Suzuki Jeep.
"I think he's talking rubbish - he's a relic," said the banqueting and function sales co-ordinator of Manor Banqueting, at Dragon's Health Club, Yeadon. "The statistics show that women are better drivers than men and insurance companies are giving women cheaper rates because they're a safer bet.
"My Range Rover was written off by a man and my Land Rover was written off by a man in the snow.
"I think that women respect 4X4s because they know they are harder to drive. A lot of women with 4X4s also have kids with them so they are more careful."
But Stephanie Simmonite, one of Britain's top women rally drivers, said: "It's a load of rubbish. Women don't have a problem with not being strong enough to pull the wheel round because the vehicles nearly all have power steering."
Sergeant Brian Pickford, Eccleshill police traffic manager, said: "It's nonsense. I certainly do not agree that most accidents are caused by middle aged women in 4x4s. We don't get that many accidents involving the vehicles and it's usually younger people involved."
David Lister, sales director of Farnell Land Rover in Frizinghall Road, also disagreed with Coun Gill, who defended himself saying the minutes didn't necessarily reflect his comments.
Mr Lister said: "I have never heard anything so silly in all my life. The 4X4 product is taller and the driving position is higher and visibility better. The safety of the vehicle is far superior to what we would term as an ordinary car."
And an AA spokeswoman added: "The most recent survey we have done on the safety of men and women drivers involving 500 people showed that women were safer!"
But Stephanie Simmonite's mother Melanie, who has driven 4x4s for years, supported Coun Gill saying: "I think he might be right. Women get these big vehicles and don't know how to handle them properly. They are difficult to reverse especially if you are small. I've seen it exactly as he describes it."
And at another meeting of the committee this week Coun Gill said the minutes didn't necessarily reflect what he said. Secretary Dania Leslie, mother of Shipley Labour MP Chris Leslie, denied there was any inaccuracy and added: "I was offended as well."
And Labour councillor Eileen Sinclair said of his comments: "I was incensed by them. I would like to ask him what evidence he has got. I have seen middle aged men going like bats out of hell."
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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