Who are Safer Drivers: Men or Women?

The question of which gender is a safer driver often stirs up a lot of debate, with women typically stereotyped as being prone to car accidents. While neither will admit that the opposite sex are better drivers, we can look at the numbers of crashes and other car accidents over a number of years to answer this question.

Some studies have been conducted to try and answer the question of which gender is the better driver. It is a little-known fact that most major car accidents tend to happen when men are behind the wheel. However, this could just be because there are more male drivers than female drivers. I did some research to find out other reasons why some experts believe that women are safer drivers than men.

Higher rates of car crashes for men

Do you know that more men die each year of vehicle crashes than women? One of the main reasons for this fatality is that men often engage in risky driving practices such as speeding, drunk driving and not wearing safety belts. In 2016, it has been recorded that there were 12,422 crash deaths for passenger vehicle male drivers compared to 5,107 crash deaths for female passenger vehicle drivers. For more stats on car accidents, you can check out the report of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute.

In another study by Safety Resource Center, men cause 6.1 million car accidents per year compared to women with 4.4 million per year. Although more women have a driver’s licence, it is suggested that men may be more at risk because of the distances they travel.

Lower car insurance rates for women

Car insurance companies calculate their risk when they determine the rates. Some of the things they look into are the vehicle’s model, make and year, and the customer’s driving record, age and credit history. So why do women pay less on car insurance than men? According to DMV, statistics tend to show that women are less likely to get into a car accident, break road rules, buy cars that are more costly to insure, and drive more miles. Because of these reasons, female drivers have cheaper insurance than male drivers.

Driving distractions

Distraction is one of the main cause of car accidents. According to a study shared by Mail Online, young men, regular drivers, neurotic people or extroverts are more likely to get distracted while driving. Whereas, older women tend to know how to handle distractions and pay more attention to their driving.

“I found that young men were among the most likely to report distraction,” researcher Ole Johansson of Institute of Transport Economics said.

“Tailored interventions to reduce driver distraction could focus on at-risk groups, such as young males with bad attitudes to distracted driving and a low belief that they can control their distraction,” he added.

Based on a previous study, women were found to be more proficient drivers than men. The tests showed men more likely to take risks such as beating the red light, driving too close to the car in front, cutting corners, and using their mobile phone.

Women, on the other hand, were more considerate and take extra precaution when driving such as stopping at red light, using their mirrors correctly and slowing down when approaching hazards.

Be prepared and protected

The truth is drivers are not safe from car accidents no matter what their gender is and how careful they drive. Being out on the road has its risks, and it is impossible to prepare for the many unexpected hazards that may arise. That’s why VroomVroomVroom offers insurance policies so our customers will have an option to get excess insurance cover for damage to rental vehicles since accidents are unpredictable.

So whether you are a female driver or a male driver, it is important to be prepared at all times since being a safe driver is something you need to prove to yourself and not to anybody else.

Note: Most of the sources used in this article are from the USA. Stats and studies may be different in other countries.