Who Has Riskier Driving Behaviors: Men or Women?
Compared with women, men log more miles on the road, but does that mean they are at a higher risk for a motor vehicle accident?
Recent research indicates that they are.
A new study published in the journal Injury Prevention used four kinds of official data from 2005 to 2015 to analyze the risk posed to others by a person’s use of a certain type of vehicle. After studying the operators of bicycles, automobiles/taxis, vans, buses, commercial trucks, and motorcycles, the researchers concluded that men were more dangerous to other road users in five of the six modes of transportation:
- Compared with female drivers, male drivers of passenger cars and vans were found to pose double the danger to others.
- Male truck drivers posed four times the risk to others than women.
- Male motorcyclists presented more than 10 times the danger that women do.
The researchers also studied which types of transportation were the riskiest and found that cars and taxis were involved in approximately two-thirds of all the fatalities reported.
Another study conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) found that men are much more likely than women to be killed or injured in motor vehicle crashes:
- From 1975 to 2018, twice as many men as women died in automobile accidents nearly every year.
- Males accounted for 71 percent of all the deaths occurring in motor vehicle accidents in 2018.
- Eighty-six percent of all bicyclist deaths and 91 percent of all motorcyclist fatalities were men.
- Death rates were significantly higher for men ages 16-29 compared with women in the same age bracket, but only marginally higher for ages 30 and older.
Why Auto Accident Fatality Rates Among Men Are Higher
Men have a greater degree of confidence behind the wheel, but women are safer drivers, according to research conducted by the insurance comparison website The Zebra. According to the survey:
- Eighty-two percent of men surveyed felt “very confident” in their driving ability, compared with 74 percent of women.
- Men are more likely than women to engage in risky driving behaviors such as speeding or driving while drowsy or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Statistics show that men are less likely to wear seat belts.
- Each year since 1975, more men than women have died in car accidents.
- Fatalities are much higher for males in accidents involving speeding and impaired driving.
The research indicated that overconfidence in driving ability does not necessarily lead to safe driving, and might ultimately lead to risky driving behaviors and fatal auto accidents.
The Gender Gap in Insurance Rates
Forty-three states and the District of Columbia currently allow gender-based price differences in car insurance rates. Since men are widely considered to be riskier drivers and more likely to be involved in fatal collisions than women, you might expect their car insurance premiums to be higher. However, 2019 research shows that women pay more for car insurance in 25 states, twice as many as just two years prior.
Were you injured in an automobile accident that was the result of another driver’s risky driving behavior? Contact Dan Rosen at (303) 454-8000 or (800) ROSEN-911 to schedule your free initial consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer.