In most areas, men pay larger insurance premiums and there is a stereotype that men take most risks on the road and have more accidents on the road. Some people claim that men are more likely to try illegal or aggressive driving techniques. But is there any substance to these generalizations?
Statistics show that there are 4 million fewer female drivers than male drivers. This means that greater numbers of men will be involved in car accidents simply due to higher numbers. Some statistics show that women are more likely to be in accidents in low speed sites and at junctions. To some experts, this suggests that women have less car control than their male counterparts.
According to the World Health Organisation, however, it’s not all good news for men. The rates of male drivers dying or sustaining personal injury from high-speed collisions is much higher than the rates among female drivers. The organization notes that three times more men are killed while driving than women. In 2006, 96% of people convicted of dangerous driving were men. That same year, 87% of motoring offences where attributed to men.
Some experts claim that younger men, especially, are more likely to suffer injuries and fatalities in car accidents, simply because a larger percentage of young male drivers take risks on the road. In fact, statistics show that twice as many 25-year-old men are killed in car accidents, compared with 25-year-old women.
Experts do agree, however, that driving skill is not necessarily gender-specific. Anyone can learn to drive safely and well, since driving is a learned skill. Experts agree that both men and women should use safe driving techniques and should get defensive driving classes or even refresher classes to ensure that they know the rules of the road.
Whether you are a male or female driver, buckle up, keep driver distractions to a minimum, and follow the rules of the road. You will be safer for it and you will be making the roads safer for both male and female drivers as well.