We all have heard the stereotype that women are worse drivers than men, but how true or false is this stereotype? Car accidents statistics by gender may answer this question, but it is a little more complicated than that.
Contrary to the popular belief, men cause more car accidents in California and all across the United States, not women. Males get into more driving under the influence (DUI) accidents, they get more traffic violations, and are more likely to engage in risky driving behaviors such as reckless and aggressive driving.
But here is the part where it gets complicated: men also drive more miles than women. Although men drive more miles than women, it does not change the fact that there are over one million more licensed female drivers than licensed male drivers.
Men cause more car accidents than women
Our car crash attorney at the Compass Law Group, LLP explains that men under 25 are responsible for a large portion of motor vehicle crashed caused by men, because this age group is considered more likely to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and more likely to engage in aggressive and risky driving behavior.
If we get into the specifics of men vs. women car accident statistics in the U.S., then we should look into the statistics provided by the National Highway Safety Administration, which states that men cause 6.1 million motor vehicle crashes per year compared to women’s 4.4 million collisions.
Insurance companies prefer female drivers, men pay more for auto insurance
As we have mentioned above, there are more licensed female drivers than licensed male drivers in the U.S. (105.7 million vs. 104.3 million). Statistics also shows that men drive between 30 to 40 percent more miles per year.
Interestingly, our experienced car accident attorney in Anaheim has also found that insurance companies are more inclined to prefer female drivers and make men pay more for their auto insurance. According to a study by CBS News, a man could pay $15,000 more for his auto insurance than a woman over the course of his life.
More men die in car crashes than women
As for the car accident fatalities by gender, men are less likely to survive a car crash than women. Statistics by the IIHS showed that men make up over 70 percent of all annual motor vehicle accident fatalities in the U.S. The same study also found that twice as many men died in car accidents in the period between 1975 and 2015 than women.
“These seemingly surprising findings are not as surprising as they may seem at first considering that men drive more miles than women and men are more likely to DUI, engage in aggressive and risky driving behaviors, and for many other reasons,” says our Anaheim car accident attorney. Furthermore, men are less likely to use safety belts compared to women, and men are more likely to speed and run red lights compared to female drivers.
Statistics by the National Sleep Foundation also showed that men were 56 percent more likely to drive while drowsy than women. Furthermore, men are 22 percent more likely to fall asleep behind the wheel of their vehicles compared to only a 12 percent likelihood of a woman falling asleep while driving.
It does not matter who caused the car crash, man or woman, what matters is that you get the compensation you truly deserve. Courts in California are no longer biased against a certain gender due to the obsolete and baseless stereotypes.
