Are Women Better Drivers Than Men?

The typical stereotypes that people give are that women drive slowly and men in general think that men are better drivers than women. But is this true? Who is the better car driver?
Most people also think that young people are more prone to drink driving. Again, is this true? In this post we will look at the real life facts behind this stereotypical type of thinking.

First of all, men have more accidents statistically than women. Women tend to drive seeking independence, whereas men often drive for the thrill of driving. In fact, if you are a woman, your insurance could be cheaper than a man’s because of this. Men also commit more driving violations than women. This is not surprising, as men have more testosterone, whereas women in general are calmer. Well, okay, not every woman obviously, there are the highly-strung, chain-smoking, high-maintenance type that swear under their breath. Just as you find men who are calm and controlled.

Age is a bigger factor in deciding what risk you present whilst driving. Younger people in general drive more erratically and there is evidence to support the fact that drivers between the ages of seventeen and twenty are most likely to be involved in an accident. Again, men almost twice as much as women in this age group are more at risk.

Half of all accidents involving young drivers happen in the dark, whereas only a third of accidents of this type in the dark happen to young women.

These stark differences in gender and driving habits remain constant until about the age of fifty-five. Maybe because male testosterone levels calm down and the X-box, weights and war movies get put on the back shelf, perhaps being replaced with golf clubs, TV and a National Trust a membership card.

Young men are more prone to closing the stopping distance gap in between their vehicle and the vehicle in front as a show of aggression to get the driver moving in front. This is a particular trait of a young male car driver.

Choice of speed is the number one factor in determining your chances of having an accident, so the fact that many men drive for thrills at higher speeds ends up in more accidents involving males.

However, in defence of young drivers, interestingly, young drivers are not as prone to drink driving compared to men aged between thirty and fifty.

Men are more likely to drop off to sleep when driving too, as men are more determined to drive for long distances without a break. Women are more practical in this regard and will take a break more regularly over a long driving distance.

So, it appears that you are safer hiring a woman driver rather than a man, even though statistically women drive slower.

So, next time someone moans about a woman driver driving slower than usual in front, re-examine her methods. Her insurance is probably cheaper, she avoids high speed accidents and is less likely to be involved in an accident in the first place.

In case you are wondering, I am a guy writing this blog post and not a woman. Personally, I don’t see the point in racing around and risking your life at high speeds and have taken a page out of my fellow females’ book. What’s the thrill in driving fast down a straight road anyhow? Much better to save the thrills for go-karting, scrambling or an X-Box game.

I admit though that I do sigh when people drive extremely slowly as I think that this is counterproductive and can be as dangerous as driving too fast. I don’t know why, but these people (male or female) usually drive beige coloured Volvos or old Mercedes.

This group of people are another niche group of drivers in their own right. Who would even go to a showroom and pick a beige coloured car in the first place? Have you ever asked someone to tell you their favourite colour, then get the reply ‘beige’? Not likely. I feel like falling asleep behind the wheel when I’m stuck behind one. I think that all beige coloured cars should be banned to discourage these people from taking to the road 😉

So, in a nutshell, it is fair to say that we won’t be seeing a surge in female formula one drivers, but in general they are better drivers statistically than men if you factor in driving violations and accidents. After all, you cannot argue with facts and statistics . . . So the answer to who is the best car driver, a man or a woman has to be . . . woman hands down.