Ford Saudi Women Driver Survey Shows Love of SUVs, Trucks
In June 2018, women in Saudi Arabia were given a measure of freedom at last by earning the right to drive. One year later, Ford Middle East conducted a Twitter poll of women drivers and found that SUVs and trucks are the preferred modes of transportation. The Ford Saudi women driver survey was conducted over the course of six days and resulted in over 107,000 responses from women aged 20-45 who live in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam.
Thirty-three percent of the women who took the survey said that they drive SUVs, another 29 percent drive trucks, 24 percent drive sedans, and 14 percent drive hatchbacks. Of the factors that influenced their choice, 38 percent said that driver-assist technology was the most important, 31 percent said they were won over by design, and 15 percent said that interior spaciousness was their chief concern.
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The survey also revealed that 13 percent of respondents are licensed, with 5 percent driving daily and 8 percent driving less frequently. Another 15 percent of women are still in the process of applying for a driver’s license. Of those who are driving currently, 52 percent list aggressive driving as their top concern, followed by breakdowns (17 percent), parking (15 percent), and getting lost (16 percent).
Ford has made strides to help the new drivers learn the ropes with the Driving Skills for Life for Her program. In addition, Ford offered to pay licensing fees for new drivers to encourage them to take advantage of their newly won rights.
“As the needs of newly-licensed drivers have evolved, so too has DSFL; from theory, to hands-on experience — and that’s why we were so keen to reach out to as many women drivers in Saudi to understand their concerns with this survey,” said Simonetta Verdi, Director of Government and Community Relations, Ford Middle East and Africa. “It’s clear that personal safety on the roads remains a key concern — much more so than the thought of a mechanical breakdown or even getting lost.”
Ford this weekend will debut a virtual reality component of Ford Driving Skills for Life for Her at the Lady Cars Accessories Show in Dammam.
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