Driving Seen as Moral Threat to Women in Early 1900s, According to SAE Congress Paper
21 December 2000
Driving Seen as Moral Threat to Women in Early 1900s, According to SAE Congress Paper WARRENDALE, Pa., Dec. 20 Today, the majority of U.S. women
have driver's licenses, but this wasn't always the case. In fact, in early
20th Century America, a female driving a car could be considered scandalous
because too much feminine independence would present marital temptations.
Patricia Yongue, Professor of Women Studies at the University of Houston,
will present "Up to Speed: Early Lady Racers," on Tuesday, March 6 in
Room O2-43, Cobo Center, Detroit, Michigan during the 2001 SAE World Congress,
March 5-8. Yongue will share facts and observations regarding the history of
women drivers, including an in-depth discussion on the early years of female
racecar drivers.
"In the early 1900s," explains Yongue, "driving was considered detrimental
to female physical health because lack of suspension could cause serious harm
to reproductive organs. In addition, society believed that driving was
threatening to female moral health, in that too much independence would
present marital temptations. Because of these societal `concerns,' most women
were content to be just passengers and occasionally drivers. However, there
were quite a few ladies who liked to race cars and they did just that."
Yongue, who will give an oral-only presentation during one of SAE's
Historical Sessions, will focus on the women pioneers of racing. She will
also address the gender differences in life-threatening competitions such as
racing, as well as attitude differences toward technology, including
motorsports technology.
"World War I and II actually helped women get into the driver's seat
because they had to perform driver and some mechanic duties," says Yongue.
"This era also helped society `decide' that women could actually perform the
duties of homemaking more efficiently with an automobile."
Yongue also makes an interesting point about the fate of electric cars.
"Many scholars believe that the electric car was `done in' about 1914, not so
much because of limited battery life, but because it was so appealing to women
-- cleaner and less noisy than gasoline-powered cars. Because advertising
campaigns for electric cars targeted women, men may have boycotted electric
vehicles because they were a `woman's car.'"
SAE World Congress, the world's largest showcase of automotive engineering
technologies, attracts attendees from more than 50 countries. To attend,
visit http://www.sae.org/congress or call 1-877-SAE-CONG (723-2664); outside the U.S.
and Canada, call 1-724-772-4027.
