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Are Men Responsible for More Accidents than Women?

In modern society, there is a preconceived idea that women are worse at driving than men, especially when it comes to parking or maneuvering a vehicle. While there are many videos, a lot of them including parallel parking, on the internet that may prove this narrative, is it actually true? Do women really cause more accidents than men?

Driving our cars is an essential part of human life, especially if you live in a rural area. Some people even drive for a living as delivery people and mail carriers, to name a few. Since it is so common, we as a community have become desensitized to the dangers that could happen each time we are in a vehicle. Numerous car accidents, both big and small, happen daily across America, with millions of injuries occurring.

The Statistics Speak For Themselves

When looking at the statistics, men cause more accidents in a year than women, which may be surprising to some people. From a study by the National Highway Safety Administration, men cause approximately 6.1 million road accidents in America annually, while women cause 4.4 million vehicle crashes, which is a significantly lower number. In 2017, men caused over 37,000 fatal crashes, while women caused over 13,000 fatalities.

Throughout the fifty states, the number of driving licenses held by both men and women is nearly even. But on a yearly basis, men complete more mileage. Men drive over 6,000 miles more than women annually. So if they drive 30% longer distances, it is easy to see why they get in more accidents.

Also, men tend to take more risks while driving compared to female drivers. They have a higher probability of speeding, overtaking vehicles, or even driving under the influence. These factors are some of the significant reasons why road accidents occur.

Driving Under The Influence of A Substance

One major driving occurrence that is frowned upon across the globe is driving under the influence—using a substance while driving can impair your judgment and reflexes and cause accidents and, unfortunately, more often than not, deaths. Usually, when alcohol or drugs are a factor in the events of an accident, the people involved are seriously injured or worse.

While drunk or drug driving is something that occurs in drivers regardless of age or gender, it is more prevalent in male drivers. Statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation found that four of five drivers arrested for DUIs were male. While male drunk driving is more common, over the last decade, female DUIs are increasing.

Driving While Tired

Along with driving under the influence, another factor that can impair driving is driving while tired. A National Highway Transportation Safety Administration study shows that driving while tired is as dangerous as drunk or drug driving. Unfortunately, men are more likely to complete this action, too, with 56% of tired drivers being male. It can be incredibly dangerous as the driver could be moving into oncoming traffic without realizing or having any control.

Driving Over the Speed Limit

Speeding is the leading cause of car accidents globally; it causes 29% of fatal accidents annually in America. It is widely known that younger male drivers are faster and frequently break the legal speed limit compared to young female drivers. The older and more mature the driver is, the less likely they will try speeding or other reckless driving.

For fatal car crashes caused by drivers under the age of twenty, 31% were male drivers, while only 17% were female. As humans age, they tend to stay within the legal speed limits.

When speed is added to other contributing factors, such as weather, busy roads, and road quality, it can become a dangerous cocktail for an accident. These accidents can be easily avoided with some sense and foresight.

How Can Drivers Stay Safe?

Driving is an activity that occurs daily in most people’s lives, but it requires the driver’s and passenger’s full attention. There is no excuse for any of the activities mentioned in this article to occur. Simply said, they put everyone on the road in danger for no good reason.

Making responsible decisions such as designating a sober driver or booking a taxi could be the decision that saves someone’s life, not going to jail, serving community service, or paying a fine—all of which no one wants to do.

If you are planning a long trip, ensure that you have enough sleep the night before. Or if you are tired, bring a passenger and alternate driving for the duration of the trip. If you have to drive with little sleep, be aware if you are starting to become very tired. Pull over in to a designated area and take a nap before hitting the road again.

Along with these suggestions, while driving, remove all distractions to ensure total concentration on the road. Things like phones, chatty passengers, and music can all contribute to accidents happening while driving. In any scenario, it cuts down the driver’s response time.

While men and women can cause car accidents based on several factors, men cause a higher percentage of accidents annually. Since driving is completed regularly, you can become complacent about how dangerous it really is. With very few changes, the number of accidents can decrease drastically for both men and women.

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Ryan Clancy
Ryan Clancy is a freelance writer and blogger. With 5+ years of mechanical engineering experience, he's passionate about all things engineering and tech. He loves bringing engineering (especially mechanical) down to a level that everyone can understand. Ryan lives in Miami, and writes about everything engineering and tech at sites like Forbes, Engineering360, Clinked, MakeUseOf, Mechanical Engineering HQ, and many more.

    1 Comment

    1. Lets ask the OpenAI chat bot!
      This is what it said: “ Statistical data shows that men are generally involved in more car accidents than women. This is primarily due to the fact that men tend to drive more miles than women and also engage in riskier driving behaviors such as speeding and driving under the influence. However, it is important to note that these statistics may also be influenced by societal factors and cultural norms that discourage women from driving as much as men.”

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