Should Drivers Always Stop and Ask for Directions?

The comedian Elayne Boosler joked that her ancestors wandered in the desert for 40 years because the men refused to stop and ask for directions. Funny, and perhaps true, at least according to a recent British study that found that, on average, men drive an additional 276 miles (441 km) every year because they won't ask for help in finding their way. The study, which was conducted by the insurance company Sheila's Wheels, also found that women tend to add an extra 256 miles (412 km) to their trips every year for the same reason. In other words, people in general don't want to look needy on the road -- men are just slightly worse about it. The study results showed that 12 percent of men will never give up and ask for directions, while it takes another 26 percent at least half an hour before finally deciding to pull over. The female study participants, on the other hand, were much more inclined to ask for help, with 37 percent saying they would stop and seek guidance as soon as they realized they were lost. Of course, asking for directions is quickly becoming a thing of the past, as most people now travel with a smartphone or GPS.

Head out on the highway:

• Approximately 95 percent of all "dead" cars are recycled, for a total of about 27 million cars every year.
• On average, people spend two weeks of their lives sitting at red lights.
• At 55 mph (90 km/h), it would take a car six months to travel from the Earth to the moon.