You have probably heard a man complain about women drivers at some point. For whatever reason, some men insist that men are better than certain things than women. Driving is one of those things.
Is there any substance to this, or is it just an outdated sexist stereotype?
Statistics suggest women are much better drivers than men
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) compiles and analyses data from car crashes. Far more men than women have died in crashes every year since they started keeping records in 1975.
Is this just because men drive more?
Statistics show that men drive about 60% more miles than women. That is not enough to explain the fact that over twice as many male drivers die each year.
Passenger deaths are more equally balanced so clearly, there is something wrong with the way many men drive that puts them at such a high risk compared to women.
Data for other vehicle types back this up. 2019 statistics show that men were over eight times more likely to die on a bicycle and over 50 times more likely to die on a motorcycle than females. Again, you can argue that there are more male cyclists and motorcyclists, but the difference is so large that this can not be the only reason.
What is it about being in control of a vehicle that men struggle with?
Men, in general, are more likely to take risks than women. Not just in vehicles but in all sorts of things. The more risks you take, and the greater those risks, the more likely you are to crash. The faster you travel, the more likely you are to die in a crash.
While not all males are reckless, and not all females are cautious, overall, that is what the statistics show. Despite this, if you are in a car crash with a driver of the opposite sex, you cannot put it down to gender. You will still need legal help to pinpoint the specific causes that led to your injuries.
