Women making up as they drive cause 450,000 accidents a year, according to today's Daily Express.

 It seems unlikely. There are about 3.6 million accidents a year in Britain, so this would mean that an eighth of them were caused by this imprudent habit.
 
The source for the story is Diamond Insurers, which specialises in insuring women drivers, and issues lots of “surveys” which seduce journalists. It questioned 4,000 women, and found that almost a fifth admitted to applying foundation, mascara or lipstick on the move. If true, that would mean 2.7 million women drivers in the UK do it or have done it.
 
                              
 
The story goes on: “More than 3 per cent of those, or 450,000, confessed they had also crashed their cars as a result.” Actually, 3 per cent of 2.7 million is 81,000, not 450,000.
 
Let’s assume, charitably, that the Express meant 3 per cent of all women motorists, which could easily amount to 450,000. But could they possibly all have done it in the same year? It’s clear the question asked must have been: “Have you ever had an accident as a result of making up on the move?”
 
Perhaps the journalist responsible was touching up her lippy as she wrote the story.