When my editor, Crispin Kent, asked if I would like to write a few articles for cars.co.uk, I was initially ambivalent.

I enjoy contributing to flights.co.uk and have already agreed to write for our new villas.co.uk publication. But cars, well this seems so boring and really completely outside my interest zone.

My fiancé, Marcus, the Barrister, has most of the boys’ toys but even he does not really own a car. He has what he describes as an ‘arrangement’ with Jedd in a nearby Mews garage to use various cars at the weekend. He survives on black cabs during the week and loves the freedom of not being a car owner.

So, my initial thoughts were pretty negative until Crispin explained that I could have free range to cover, what he called, women’s issues. Apparently there are stark gender differences between driving styles and this was something that he wanted me to explore.

Crispin had some research on his desk from the RAC which claimed that 37% of women felt nervous when driving on motorways compared with just 9% of men. He also claimed that when partners go out together, the man is four times more likely to drive.  I asked the obvious question and he grudgingly admitted that the ratio was nearly reversed for the drive home. You can bet that the male chauvinist piglet was not going to mention that fact until I asked.

Having sneaked a copy of the report, I found that 23% of women (are made to) feel uncomfortable when their male partner is in the passenger seat, compared with only 5% of men that feel the same when driven by their female partner.  That decided me. I would write about drivers and driving but would not get involved in how many cylinders, spark plugs and tappets the damn cars had.

So over the next few weeks, I am going to cover women’s motoring, confidence and achievement. Even Marcus grudgingly said “go for it”