By ANDREA MULDOON

AFTER shattering my confidence in a series of serious road accidents, I was reluctant to push my driving skills to the limit on a muddy assault course in somebody else's top-of-the-range vehicle.

And my worst fears were realised just minutes after climbing into a brand new American Jeep - when I slammed it into a tree!

This was despite the fact that women are supposed to be better off-road drivers than men.

The reason that men often don't excel is because they think they know it all and don't listen to the instructor.

My latest car crisis came about when I agreed to try out a new driving course entitled Girls With Guts.

The idea is to offer female motorists the opportunity to try off-road driving without the distraction of dealing with, or having to compete with, male counterparts.

The experience is intended to show them just what amazing feats they - and the 4x4 vehicles - are capable of. Unfortunately, I don't think my "little" mishap was supposed to be one of them.

After the initial shock of our accident, the female rally driver who was taking me around the mud-caked course - made 10 times worse by a torrential downpours - assured me that no real damage had been done to the once shiny Jeep. So, still intent on quashing my fear of driving, I steadied my shaking hands and ploughed on.

My challenge took place at a purpose-built course out in the wilds near Bradford. I was joined by five other female journalists and two customers, including a midwife called Jean who usually spends her days delivering babies at Blackburn's Queen's Park Hospital.

She was definitely smitten. I bet her husband never sees their 4x4 again. Doing the school run could take on a whole new meaning.

I had swapped my own clapped-out Renault 5 for a powerful state-of-the-art vehicle with a four-litre engine.

I couldn't help but be impressed by the mighty machine.

I felt amazingly safe and even steep hills didn't pose a problem. I could happily put my hands on my head, take my feet off the pedals and watch in awe as I glided up a steep incline.

Being small, I did have a bit of a problem seeing through the windscreen - but that was nothing a big comfy cushion couldn't sort out. I don't think that I will ever become an expert in this adventure activity but after overcoming my initial reluctance and concentrating on my instructor's advice I was shocked to realise I was starting to enjoy myself.

Not since venturing on to The Big One at Blackpool has so much adrenaline flowed through my veins. This was particularly so on the "suicide drop" - which involved climbing up a steep mud mound and then plunging into a deep river.

It is a fact that at least 95 per cent of Britain's "off-road" vehicles never see rough terrain. That's a shame. It offers as many thrills as you can bear and if your motoring skills are anything like mine, you can be safe in the knowledge it will only be trees and not other vehicles or pedestrians that will come to any harm.

Girls with Guts is jointly organised by Rossendale-based Chrysler Jeep dealership Richard Cort and Chrysler Jeep Imports UK.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.