Who Causes More Car Accidents? Men or Women?

Do Men or Women Get in More Car Accidents? Date: Mar 28, 2022

You’ve probably heard it debated before. It may start off as a joke between friends but quickly grow heated. Who has more car accidents — males or females? Men drive more than women, but there is a long-running, though unproven, stereotype that women are “bad drivers.” All this can make for sometimes passionate arguments.

This is one debate where there is a clear answer: men get in more accidents than women. Read on to learn more about men’s and women’s car accidents.

Which Gender Causes More Car Accidents?

Men cause more car accidents than women. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records that men cause an average of 6.1 million accidents per year nationwide, while women cause 4.4 million accidents. These stats mean men cause about 58% of accidents.

At the same time, men drive around 62% of all miles. So, women cause more accidents for the miles they drive, while men cause more overall. One plausible explanation for this difference is that more time behind the wheel builds confidence and skill. As a result, while women can drive just as well as men, their accident numbers relative to driving time are higher because the average female driver has had less time to build experience. Women’s accidents tend to be minor fender benders, though.

Men are more than three times as likely to commit DUIs, leading to many serious accidents.

Male vs. Female Driving Statistics

Men and women also have accidents for different reasons and with different outcomes:

Men are more than three times as likely to commit DUIs, leading to many serious accidents.
Men are involved in far more speeding-related car accidents.
Women are more likely to wear seatbelts than men.
Men are more likely to cause accidents by driving while drowsy.
Male drivers have more fatal car accidents.
Relative to their amount of driving, women cause more minor, non-injury accidents than men.
There are more unlicensed male drivers than unlicensed women drivers.

These facts indicate that men engage in more reckless driving behavior than women. Risky decisions, combined with more driving, explain why men have more total crashes and why their crashes are more serious.

How Accidents Impact Women vs. Men

Though men have more lethal accidents than women, women are more likely to be injured than men when comparing similar car accidents. A woman aged 20-49 is 20% more likely to die in a passenger car crash than a man in the same scenario. This difference holds up even when controlling for the vehicle type, airbag deployment and seatbelt usage.

At least one study proposed that crash test dummy regulations could be part of the problem. Current crash testing regulations authorize using a 4-foot-11, 108-pound dummy to represent adult women. The dummy is a downsized version of its male counterpart and doesn’t reflect an average female body structure. This issue could be leading to vehicles poorly designed to protect most women.

Lethal Accidents for Men and Women by Vehicle Type

Although individual women are more likely to die in the same crash scenarios, men get involved with many more lethal accidents and thus still die more often in crashes. The last published annual accident fatality statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recorded that:

Annual passenger car crash deaths were 14,062 for male drivers compared to 5,489 for female drivers.
More females died as passengers in car crashes — 3,134 compared to 2,973 male deaths.
Annual large truck driver crash deaths were 456 for men compared to only 16 for women.
Annual motorcyclist crash deaths were 5,736 compared to only 480 for women.
In total, nearly three times more men than women died in motor vehicle crashes.

These numbers show male drivers die in higher numbers than female drivers from every category of crashes. Females often die as passengers when male drivers get into accidents.

Find the Assistance You Need After a Car Accident

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter who gets in more car accidents, men or women. What matters is what happens after the crash. Getting the right help is critical to moving forward with your life following an accident. Regardless of who was driving, a car accident can change your life if you’ve been injured or run up significant medical bills.

That’s why the Law Offices of Argionis and Associates, LLC, work so hard on your behalf. We can help you get your life back together following an accident. Thousands of people in Illinois are involved in accidents each year, and many of them need legal assistance.

George Argionis

George Argionis has over 20 years of experience in handling cases involving auto collisions, premises injuries, medical malpractice, product liability, construction-related and work-related injuries. He has dedicated his career to helping restore lives both emotionally and economically.

Do Men or Women Get in More Car Accidents?