You’ve probably heard a lot of driving stereotypes and myths. One of the most harmful myths out there is that women are bad drivers. There’s a lot to consider when you evaluate how “good” of a driver someone is.
Although men are more confident drivers, they actually get into more accidents than women. 
More Confidence Does Not Mean Safer
A recent from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) showed that 82% of men felt “very confident” in their driving abilities. However, the same study showed that not only do men get into more accidents, they’re also more likely to participate in dangerous and reckless behavior.
On the other hand, only 74% of women felt the same way about their driving. This means that although women aren’t as confident, they also get into less accidents.
Since the 1970’s, there have been twice as many fatal crashes involving men than women. In 2018, men accounted for 71% of vehicle deaths. Although the number of crashes has decreased since the 1970’s, there’s now even more risks contributing to those accidents.
Men Are More Likely To Engage In Risky Behavior
Although men are driving more miles than women, they’re also the ones who are likely to engage in risky behavior on the road. The same study conducted by the IIHS concluded that men are more likely to:
- Not use seat belts
- Drive while impaired
- Speed
In 1975, there were 32,675 men involved in fatal car crashes compared to the 11,844 women. In 2018, those numbers have drastically improved as there were only 25,841 male deaths and 10,676 female deaths.
This means that men have decreased the number of fatal crashes by 21%, whereas women only decreased their crashes by 10%.
In this study, men aged 16-29 made up the majority of vehicle deaths. In fact, men make up 91% of all motorcycle deaths. Since the 1970’s, motorcycle deaths in both men and women have increased by 50%.
Contributing Factors To Vehicle Deaths
Drinking and speeding are the two largest contributors to vehicle deaths. Although the number of drinking and driving cases have significantly decreased within recent years, men are still much more likely to die from impaired driving.
Another contributing factor to dangerous behavior on the road is distracted driving. Almost 4,000 drivers die from distracted driving each year. Drivers are 6 times more likely to get in an accident while texting and are twice as likely even if they’re just talking on the phone. Many studies show that women admit to texting while driving more, this does not include other forms of distracted driving such as:
- Eating and drinking
- Using other devices such as GSP
- Being lost in thought or feeling emotional
- Fiddling with your radio or air conditioning
- Soley using cruise control, or automatic driving features
- Grabbing objects, pets, and children
- Smoking
Preventing Deaths On The Road
Although there’s no definitive answer as to why men are also more likely to participate in speeding and impaired driving, we can take steps towards educating drivers. Reminding other drivers that being safe actually benefits everyone on the road. Just because a driver is confident does not mean that they are safe.
It’s imperative to teach young drivers especially to always be safe while driving, as they’re the most likely demographic to die in car crashes. Teach your teen to be cautious and safe rather than confident. Remind them that being a safe driver has its rewards and can save you money on insurance.