Male drivers – Double the risk at the wheel than women

A combined report between the Fundación Eduardo Barreiros y la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) has concluded that men, behind the wheel, are double the risk than women.

The report presented an investigation on the differences in accidents and incidents involving men and women in Spain, and was based on comparable ratios of the proportionality of the census of drivers, and based on the total population (using DGT and INE data).

Blanca Arenas, coordinator and co-author of the study, explained that for the preparation of the report, 200,000 claims produced over ten years have been analysed, revealing very significant differences in driving between men and women.

“Women respect the norm more, do not assume as many risky behaviours as men, and that translates into fewer accidents and fewer victims,” says Arenas. They, therefore, the mortality rate per million drivers is more than twice as high in men as in women. In addition, the injury caused by an accident involving one or two male drivers is also double. Men are also attributed to 44.5% more serious injuries.

The most frequent types of accidents in males are the knocking down, rollovers and frontal collisions, caused by hasty acceleration and lack of patience, enthused by speed. In women, distraction and not allowing a safety distance are the more common. However, despite men taking more risks, they also perceive dangerous situations better.

In general, they are in breach of speed limits and often permitted alcohol and drug rates. They are the ones who incur the most in voluntary imprudence. In the case of consumption of alcohol and / or narcotics, they even increase the risk fivefold over that posed by women.

During the presentation of the report, Mariluz Barreiros, president of the Fundación Eduardo Barreiros, stressed that “our country has experienced a remarkable advance in road safety in recent years, but it is essential to continue to understand why accidents occur and how they can be prevented”.

Ana Pastor, president of the Congress of the Deputies affirmed that “it is important to put in value this study to disassemble many topics that are in our country”.