Who is better behind the wheel, men or women?

When it comes to driving, there is a debate which has raged on since women were allowed behind the wheel. Are they better or worse drivers than men?

And where it can be argued that the man has had more experience, historically speaking, modern day equality campaigns demand that more than archaic stereotypes be presented if the associations between the male and the automobile should stand.

Therefore, to debunk the debate once and for all here is some statistical data for your consideration.

Fatality Numbers

With white knuckles, the dashboard is grabbed as she swerves in and out of traffic. You think to yourself that your lifespan is dropping substantially and that you are going to end up in a fatal car accident. Yet, an NBC study shows that when it comes to fatal accidents 80 percent of those accidents involve the other sex behind the wheel.

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Does history show a shift?

While you may think only recently the numbers have shifted in the woman’s favor, such is not the case. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) reports the statistics from as far back as 1975, all of which lean in the favor of the female driver when comparing who causes more fatalities, accidents, and collisions.

For example, in 1975, 32,000 fatalities were caused by men with only 11,844 caused by women. In 2016 male fatalities were around 26,000 with the ladies having only 10,900.

Furthermore, the type of vehicle that women tend to purchase are more apt to handle well, have higher safety features, and are more economical, says newswheel. Males tend to purchase more aggressive cars and trucks, preferring aesthetics over safety and functionally.

What about tickets and reckless driving?

When it comes to tickets, the numbers are rather close. However, just like the other data presented, the woman wins out with the fewest tickets. Data was collected from New York as well as Florida drivers and compared. The only ticket, according to esurnance, which women were found to be higher than the man is in parking tickets, ironically having nothing to do with the mobile functionality of the car.

Speeding tickets had a 20% variation between the sexes.

So, why are women bad drivers Or are they?

There is still an assumption that with a man behind the wheel, one is safer, even though the data shows that this is not the case. Debate.org shows that the consensus is 72% in favor of the male as the better driver than the woman.

Why is this?

If you look at the automobile and its association with industry and with aggressiveness, then you may see the association. The male tends to have more of the aggressive and “rough” nature to the personality. Therefore, when looking at a machine which has high speeds, an aggressive design, and is made from cold hard metal, the mind just assumes that it is made for the man.

Secondly, there is a carryover dominance with the automobile. The fact that more men can work on and fix vehicles than women, with fewer than 2% of all mechanic being ladies according to bls, tends to carry that dominance over to all aspects of the automobile. The assumption is that if the male dominates the maintenance and the operation of the vehicle, then he is also more apt to drive the vehicle without error or incidents.

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Across the board

In statistical data, the only information where the numbers were similar across the board were wrecks and fatalities involving texting and talking on phones while driving. The data shows that regardless of whether the device is hands-free or not, that this is quickly becoming the number one factor in vehicular fatalities. Additionally, the age bracket for such wrecks is in the lowest age demographic with a 29% dominance.

More driving more wrecks

Arguably, the numbers in the statistics reflect the driving trends of the sexes. Studies from the federal highway administration show that the male driver accounts for more than 50% of the drivers on the road. The logic is simple, more driving times will equal more wrecks.

Insurance results

Overall, the data suggest that women are better drivers than men. Consequently, the insurance companies reflect the data in their rates. Women’s rates tend to be lower than the man’s.

Keep in mind that there are other factors which are calculated into the cost such as age and driving history. And while the data does lean to the female driver as the best drivers on the road, there are good and bad drivers in both sexes.

Yet, if comparing the male to female premiums and deductibles, you may find that the cheaper solution when it comes to purchasing your plan, is to have the policy in a woman’s name.

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