Are men Better Drivers than Women?

Men naturally think they are better than women at almost everything, from sports to fishing. This way of thinking, of course, includes driving. This debate has raged on since the first car was produced and both sexes hit the road. The question is, are men better drivers than women in 2021?

Nearly all men believe they are far superior drivers to their female counterparts. The honest answer is a bit tricky and needs further explanation and some stats to back up the perceptions out there. Read on and find out some interesting facts about each and how they tend to drive. Get your car insured for less in just 5 minutes with goodtogoinsurance online. To start comparing quotes, enter your zip code. 

Who gets into More Auto Accidents, Men or Women?

According to data released by the National Highway Safety Administration or NHTSA, men get into more car accidents than women. This means insurers charge the overall volume of incidents to men. Wait a bit, though, before concluding what sex is better at driving because this data can be a bit misleading.

Men drive much more than women and thus are exposed to more potential collisions. The comprehensive study by the NHTSA found males drive around 40% more each year than women. This means they are on the road more often and have a greater probability of getting into a collision. An interesting fact about this study is there are way more licensed females on the road, about 1 million more than men.

Who Drives More, Men or Women?

How often have you looked and seen a couple in a car with the man sitting in the passenger seat? Not very often, correct? Men usually take control of the wheel on family outings, dates, etc., and thus are the culprits to blame when incidents occur. 

According to the Federal Highway Administration, men drive about 16,500 miles annually and women much less, around 10,140. This data correlates with just over 6.1 million accidents caused by men annually and 4.4 million accidents responsible for women. When you look at the stat of accidents per mile driven, the info shows men are less likely to get involved in an incident, but only by a small margin.

Men Take More Risks When Driving

Young men under the age of 25 are the most dangerous drivers on the road. They do risky things like speed, tailgating, not putting on their seat belts, racing, and drive intoxicated, to name a few things. A very high-risk age group is male drivers between 21-34. Although they make up just eleven percent of the USA’s population, they are guilty of one-third of all DUIs.

Lawmakers have stepped up their enforcement efforts in recent years and have passed legislation lowering the legal blood alcohol limits to .08 in many states. This has had some success in reducing crashes, but young male motorists’ deaths are still way too high. This age group gives the older, more responsible drivers a bad name.

Men are more linked to DUI crashes than Women 

One awful thing male drivers do more than their female counterparts is intoxicated driving. Driving while intoxicated kills far too many men, and especially younger drivers under 25 years of age. 

In the past few years, DUIs have dropped by a third, but it is still a huge problem nationwide. This selfish behavior not only can kill the motorist who is drunk but often kills innocent people. On average, about 10,000 motorists die each year due to vehicular deaths related to intoxication, and the majority of these motorists are male.

Car insurance claims

A significant factor determining your insurance rates and sheds some evidence on your driving ability is a person’s claim history. So what does claim history tell us about the eternal battle of the sexes, which is better at driving? One of the most recent studies conducted by confused.com in 2019 shows that men filed about 70% of insurance claims. 

The study showed that men are far likelier to drive faster and thus get into more accidents. As the saying goes, speed kills. While the debate rages on which sex is the better driver, there is no debate about which sex is safer behind the wheel. Men are almost 90% more likely to get into a high-speed crash than women. The stats don’t lie. Women just don’t take extreme risks in-vehicle driving, like going 100 MPH down the freeway.  

Just when you thought the verdict was in and women are better drivers, stats also point out that women get into more low-speed, lower impact crashes. This includes backing into another vehicle at the mall or hitting a sign when turning a corner. Women also get into more accidents in confined areas, like a parking garage, Wal-Mart parking lot, and the like. Many of these small accidents that do minor damage are not reported, so that keeps the debate going strong.  

Traffic Violations

So who gets the majority of tickets, women or men. One study in England showed almost 80% of moving violations were committed by men. That is a rate that is about 400% higher than female drivers. 

Men are more aggressive drivers, as stats show. They tend to barrel through yellow and red traffic lights, cut through traffic more aggressively, and speed far more frequently than women. Higher-risk driving leads to more tickets being issued to male motorists. 

If men simply started driving safely and took fewer risks, then the accidents would fall dramatically, and thousands of lives would be saved. So while it’s tough to argue women are better motorists, it’s safe to say they are more careful behind the wheel and more often obey traffic laws.

The Perception that Men Drive Better Still Exists

Despite the evidence that both sexes get into about the same amount of vehicle incidents, the perception is still that men are better drivers. It seems to be true that men can do certain things like parallel park better and drive in icy or extreme weather with greater skill, but women are safer on the road and don’t drive as aggressively. They also don’t get into nearly as many DUI crashes.

So, are men better drivers than women? With the future of transportation moving to driverless cars, the question may never get solved. The debate will undoubtedly rage on forever, however. If you need cheap car coverage, then check out Good to Go Insurance. The quote is free, and you will be given up to 10 price rates to compare. Get started now and lower your premiums.

The Perception that Men Drive Better Still Exists

Despite the evidence that both sexes get into about the same amount of vehicle incidents, the perception is still out there worldwide that men are better drivers. It seems to be true that men can do certain things better, like parallel parking and drive in icy or extreme weather with more excellent skill. However, women are safer on the road and don’t drive as aggressively. They also don’t get into nearly as many DUI crashes.

So, are men better drivers than women? With the future of transportation moving to driverless cars, the question may never get solved. The debate will undoubtedly rage on forever. If you need cheap car coverage, then check out Good to Go Insurance. The quote is free, and you will be given up to 10 price rates to compare. Get started now by entering your zip code and lower your premiums.