I Came Across A Ladies Driving Guide,

published way back in 1909,

 and written by a lady no less! remember in Great Britain at this time women were legally second-class citizens, 

the guide gave many helpful hints and tips, for instance, never forget your gun! “it is nevertheless a comfort to know that should the occasion arise I have the means of defending myself.” She recommended an automatic Colt, or, should you be disinclined towards firearms, a dog,

 but this was no ordinary lady driver, she is the one so many have forgotten, dubbed 'the fastest girl on earth' her name Dorothy Levitt, (5 January 1882 - 17 May 1922),

the book she wrote, The Woman and the Car: A Chatty Little Handbook for All Women Who Motor or Want to Motor, and why was she the 'fastest girl on earth?' from the article,

'Holder of the world's first water speed record and the first British woman racing driver, in her spare time she gave the Queen Consort and the Royal Princesses Louise, Victoria and Maud driving lessons, in July 1903 Dorothy won the British international  Harmsworth Trophy for motorboats, defeating the French entry, TrefleA-Quatre at Cork, Ireland, where she set the world's first Water Speed Record achieving 19.3mph in a 40ft steel-hulled 75hp Napier speedboat with a three-blade propeller. Later that same year Dorothy drove the Napier at Cowes and won the racei in February 1905 Dorothy was taken on by De Dion as part of a major publicity stunt to drive an 8hp single cylinder De Dion from London to Liverpool and back, a total distance of 411 miles and averaging 20mph. The following day she made the return journey, thus setting a new record for the longest drive achieved by a woman. Sensibly she stowed her automatic Colt in a little drawer under the seat of the car known as 'the secret of the Dainty Motoriste' and of course, Dodo travelled with her!

Again, in July Dorothy set her first Ladies World Speed Record at the Brighton Speed Trials driving an 80hp Napier at a speed of 79.75mph, winning her class. Her diary records: "Beat a great many professional drivers – drove at rate of 77.75mph in Daily Mail Cup." And now we come to 1906 with the highlight of this year being when Dorothy broke her previous year's record at the Blackpool Speed Trials, recording a speed of 90.88mph over a flying kilometre in a 90hp Napier! Hail the 'Champion Lady Motorist of the World.'  Again, an amusing diary entry reads thus -  "Drove at rate of 91mph.  Had near escape as front part of bonnet worked loose and, had I not pulled up in time, might have blown back and beheaded me..." 

absolutely amazing, and as final tribute to her we use some thing she suggested in her book to this day, she, "advised women to carry a small hand mirror as this was 'not only essential for repairing ones' complexion after a drive," it also acted as a rear view mirror; an idea that was eventually patented in 1914, for a fuller insight into this remarkable ladies sporting career have a look here, the fastest girl in the world, that so few remember.