Are Men Better Drivers Than Women?

Men and women have been bickering for years about who the better driver is. Men
believe they are superior drivers, while women feel their driving skills surpass their
male counterparts. The same argument has been fought over and over with no
winner to be named.

So, who is the better driver? The deciding factor of what classifies one driver above
the next must be decided before one gender can be deemed a better driver. Does the
amount of driving violations determine who is better? Or is it their ability to avoid
accidents? Or the ability to control a vehicle while spinning in an empty parking lot
while doing “cookies”?

According to Quality Planning, a company that validates policyholder’s information

for auto insurers, men are 50% more likely to be cited for reckless driving, seat belt
violations, speeding and failure to yield at a stop sign. Men are 3.41 times more
likely to receive a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) violation than women. So, if we
are considering a person to be a bad driver based on the number and likelihood of
violations, men take the cake.

When it comes to accidents, men are more likely to be found at fault. According to
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, between 1999 and 2005 there
were 175,094 male fatalities compared to 82,371 women fatalities. Does this prove
women are better drivers?

Although, the debate continues on, insurance companies have determined the
winner between men and women years ago. Insurance providers named women to
be safer drivers than man and therefore women pay less for insurance than men.
With insurance being based on the likelihood of future accidents and the risks
involved in insuring a customer, they found women to be less of a risk than male
drivers.

So, are insurance companies right. Women are better drivers than men, or does the
debate continue?

Take the Who’s Riskier Quiz