Are men better drivers than women? Which group causes the most accidents, and which has the best defensive driving skills? Why would gender even have an effect on driving skills? Find out who is statistically better at driving, and see if it matches your personal experience. You may be able to use what you've learned to drive more safely or strengthen your case if you've recently been involved in an accident.
Accidents
Male drivers cause more accidents than female drivers do. That's according to a report highlighted by NBC Los Angeles. That study found that men are responsible for 80 percent of serious or fatal car accidents and women are 27 percent less likely to be the cause of any car accident.
This may be true for a variety of reasons. Natural testosterone levels could contribute to more aggressive driving behavior, or men could be more likely to feel like they are in competition with fellow drivers. It could also be partially because men simply drive more than women do.
Risky Behavior
An article on NBC news revealed the surprising findings from a study that stated men have a 77% higher risk of dying in a car accident. This may be because male drivers tend to take more risks behind the wheel. An article in Reader's Digest states that men tend to engage in several risky driving behaviors more than women do:
- Driving faster
- Tailgating
- Driving under the influence more often
- Choosing not to wear seat belts
Age
Teenage boys and young men are the riskiest, and most expensive, category of driver to insure. This is because teenage boys have been found to take more risks and cause more accidents than any other group of people. However, technology may be making things more even. Teenage girls are the group most likely to use a cell phone and text while driving. Both genders become better drivers as they age and mature, and the risk gap does get smaller between male and female drivers over time.
Road Rage
Men may drive more aggressively and take more risks, but one study found that women are actually more likely to have road rage. In a survey of more than 3800 drivers, 61 percent of women said that they had experienced road rage. That is compared to 56 percent of men.
Why would woman have more road rage than men? It might be because women are more likely to hold in negative emotions until one incident causes them to explode. Experts suggest that road rage in general is triggered by there being more drivers on the road and by the perceived anonymity and safety of being inside a car.
Biological Factors
One surprising study shows that men are better than women at navigation. Researchers found that men were more easily able to travel long distances and negotiate areas that were new to them. Interestingly, men who had fathered the most children were the best at navigation. The researches conducting this study propose that this is due to a man's biological need to reproduce. If a man can successfully travel further, he can more easily find a woman for procreation. So if a man can find due north more easily than a woman can, it could be biological.
The conversations about whether men or woman are better drivers, or whether gender makes a difference at all, will continue to be debated long into the future. Studies seem to indicate that each gender has unique qualities, making men better at certain driving tasks while women are better than others. They also show that the biggest differences are between young men and woman, and this could be explained by factors like brain development and emotional maturity.
Men and women may not be able to agree on which gender makes a better driver, but everyone can agree that both genders should be as safe on the road as possible. If you've recently been involved in a car crash, go to sites for car accident lawyers for help with your case.
