How the Glove Compartment got its name

All cars have one, some choose to keep their sat-nav stored here, others a bag of sweets (or a cat?). Very few use them as a storage compartment for their gloves. So why do we refer to this as a glove compartment/ glovebox?

I the early part of the 20th century, a female British Motor Racing driver named Dorothy Levitt was a pioneer in the sport, becoming the first woman to compete in a motor race back in 1904. She helped to pave the way for other female drivers: Kay Petre, Gwenda Hawkes, the Hon Mrs Victor Bruce (yes, me neither).



Dorothy Levitt drove around in her fur coat and gloves and was obviously looking for a place to store her gloves, no doubt when she pulled over for tea and cake!

She coined the phrase glove compartment referring to a draw beneath the seat in which female drivers could place their gloves. These did not start being added to cars until much later, and despite the move to the dashboard the name stuck.

So who are the worst drivers?

British roads are packed full of drivers, who leave us wondering how they got their driving licence in the first place.

Many groups are targeted as being the worst people behind the wheel: pensioners 'driving Miss Daisy', women - struggling to park, teenagers - behaving like they are on a race track, white van men - cutting you up, taxi drivers - failing to ever use an indicator... the list is endless.

Pensioners: A pensioner reversing in real time - feel the pain.



Teenagers

A recent report from the Co-op said that Top Gear was encouraging teenagers to break the speed limit. I find it hard to believe that any teenager is seeking tips from middle aged men in tight 501 jeans.

Taxi Drivers:

Taking a trip in a cab can often mean taking your life into your own hands, and the only tip you want to leave is a highway code. Still it could be worse, a Karaoke Cab:




White Van men, a phrase coined by Radio 2's Sarah Kennedy and still nobody seems to love them. This clip shows a white van driver in a close shave with a cyclist. Little sympathy for the bike rider however, as he appears to be riding along whilst holding a video camera.



Women Drivers, are the brunt of many male jokes and here is a compilation of female motorists in action (the clip is a little unfair, as most don't prove a woman was involved):




It is clear you don't have to fall into a category to be a bad driver, bad drivers are simply bad drivers regardless of age, sex or occupation. I will try and remind myself of this next time I experience road rage.

Finally a compilation of all types or driver getting in all kinds of trouble: