It's the age old debate which has sustained many a marital argument for days, or at least every time a feuding couple gets into the car. It's also the reason that for a woman, car insurance is often cheaper than it is for a man. The dispute between men and women about which gender is better at driving is a topic which has been considered year after year by academics, scientists and insurers who like to ponder the correlation between road traffic accidents and the gender of the person behind the wheel.
Who hasn’t heard the words 'women drivers', when a motorist has been slow off the mark or has cut across two lanes on a motorway? Women have been subjected to chauvinistic comments about their driving for generations. Male drivers have often assumed that their confidence in the car leads to safer roads; however evidence is now beginning to prove that not only are men involved in twice the amount of accidents, but also that the hunter gatherer instinct genetically ingrained in the male brain may be responsible.
Many people argue that the frequency at which men are involved in accidents is a result of more men holding driving licenses and also because men tend to cover more miles on the road. Although this is a valid point it is proven however, that for this to be true, there would have to be a dramatic difference between the number of men involved in fatal car accidents and those involved in a pedestrian or cyclist accident.
Unfortunately, across all accident types, men have the greatest chance of being killed, for example by poisoning or by falling over and sustaining a head injury. In the age group 20-29 years the fatality rate for males (drivers, pedestrians and cyclists) was 535% greater than it was for females. In 1995 there were 1.8 million female car accidents per million miles compared to 2.9 million male car accidents per million miles. This shows that men tend to have more car accidents, although throughout the lifetime of men and women, both genders tend to have the same amount. Women’s accidents tend towards low impact parking accidents or at junctions where they have been more hesitant than the average risk taking male.
Research has shown that men are naturally more aggressive, drive faster and take more risks than women drivers. Studies indicate that because of the intrinsic desire to survive, originating from the era when men went out to catch their dinner, males have a greater sense of urgency which spills over into many aspects of their everyday lives, significantly, driving.
Although this research does not look great for men, especially considering that for a woman, car insurance tends to be cheaper, the inequality does equal out later in life. Young males have the most car accidents because of their deep-seated desire to take risks. However past the age of 30 the balance is almost restored. The main benefit of getting behind the wheel as a woman, car insurance at a great cheap rate, is not to be scoffed at. Women can get cheap car insurance if they know where to look and can avoid subsidising male drivers who like to take a risk!
Once you’ve bought your car you’ll need to insure it. Visit CoverGirl Car Insurance Services www.covergirlcarinsurance.co.uk 0333 123 1308 to get car insurance exclusively for women. As a woman, car insurance needn’t be a chore, log on today and see how much you can save.