While women have been subject to bad jokes and stereotypes about our skills on the road, a new study has proven something women have known all along: we’re way better drivers than men. Frankly, there’s nothing else to say to that besides, “Duh!”
- The study was performed by Confused.com. They’re a British price comparison site that helps consumers find the best rates on all kinds of insurance, from house to car, and their study focused on the gender gap when it comes to driving. Unsurprisingly, women came out on top.
- Men break the law more when behind the wheel. In 2018, 539,000 people were convicted of driving-related offenses in England and Wales. Of those 539,000, a whopping 79% were men. That means men outnumbered women four to one when it came to breaking the law on the road.
- They speed way more as well. Men were way more likely to be guilty of the most common driving offenses, with 24% of those offenses being down to speeding. Others include driving without insurance (17%), careless driving (2%, which is pretty on par with women’s 1%, to be fair), and not taxing their vehicle (7%).
- Men are five times more likely to be convicted of drink driving. About 5% of driving offenses men commit are down to driving under the influence, while this accounts for only 1% of women’s road crimes. It doesn’t need to be said that getting behind the wheel of a car after drinking alcohol is not only careless but dangerous and illegal too, but 5% of men are still doing it, and that’s a problem.
- They’re more at fault for what happens on the road. After making an insurance claim for a road incident, men were twice as likely as women to be found at fault for the incident.
- That being said, men do have slightly better records when it comes to their driving tests. Women were slightly more likely to fail their driving test than men — 55% failed first-time, 31% of which were women and 24% men. The pass rates, however, were pretty equal. What this comes down to, whether it’s assessment bias or legitimate driving skill, has not been determined.
- Drivers in general seem to think they’re more competent than they are. Even those with points on their license stemming from driving offenses seem to think they’re still pretty solid behind the wheel, which just isn’t true. As Claire Rogan, digital marketing manager at automotive retailer Peter Vardy, said in a statement, “Taking proper due care and attention when behind the wheel should always be at the forefront of our minds when in control of a car, so it is surprising to see our research indicate that over half of British drivers have been penalized for driving offenses. Whether you have just passed your test, or have been driving for years, it is important to not allow your own perception of your driving skill to cloud your judgment.”
