Gender Differences in Driving
I’m Ed Smith, a Pittsburg Personal Injury Lawyer. The gender differences in driving can be discovered through scientific findings, insurance statistics, and even your own personal experience. Before I go forward in discussing some of the contrasts that have been noticed between male and female drivers, let’s make one point clear first and foremost: there are more similarities than differences between men and women’s driving styles. With that being said, research has still demonstrated some important points of division between male and female drivers.
Who is the Better Driver?
This question is simpler than its answer, which is dependent on the criteria that are being used to define what is “better.” Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (And What It Says About Us), has mentioned that some studies have suggested that men typically have higher rates of technical proficiency in certain driving tasks.
- In one study that included women and men of varied driving experience, participants were asked to park a vehicle in a closed-off parking garage. On average, parking tests performed by men were faster and more accurate than women.
- In a survey of young, prospective drivers taking the in-car license test in the UK, males statistically did better than the females.
Additionally, in self-reports men indicated their driving skills as “above average” at increased rates compared to women. While this may lead you to believe that men have driving skills that place them above women, think again. Men display exceedingly higher rates of risky driving behaviors that have skyrocketed their likelihood of getting into an accident. On average, men drive faster and closer to surrounding cars. Men wear their seat belts less frequently than women and drive under the influence more often than women. In some ways, the stereotype of men being aggressive drivers does appear to have a grain of truth.
Insurance Prices Reveal Information on Risky Drivers
Insurance companies do not mess around; they use data on auto accidents to determine what type of driver displays the riskiest driving behavior, and then give those persons more expensive insurance rates. In the U.S., the general rule of thumb is that your insurance rates start to gradually decline once you hit 25 years old, which indicates that those between the ages of 16 – 24 are increasingly prone to accidents. Within this age group, young men tend to see the highest rates of insurance. Not only do they get into more accidents, but they are also more likely to be involved in accident-related fatalities.
Driving and Phone Usage Between Genders
A more recent trend that has compromised the safety of male and female drivers is cell phone use. Government reports have concluded that adult women are more frequently observed on their phone. On the other hand, reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed statistics that slightly favored women, with 19% of men texting while driving compared to 17% of women. In regards to phone usage and driving, age has proven to be the greater factor and more so than the gender.
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Pittsburg Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Pittsburg Personal Injury Lawyer. If either you or a loved one has been harmed in an accident, call me for free and friendly legal advice at (925) 428-5220 or (800) 404-5400. I am also open for discussion through my website.
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