Changing patterns in women´s driving

Abstract

Until relatively recently, the task of driving a vehicle was almost exclusively one for men. Only in the last few decades have women taken en masse to driving. This review analyses the driving behaviour of men and women and attempts to establish whether women are better or worse drivers than men. It is paradoxical that according to the stereotype, women are less skilful at carrying out manoeuvres such as parking. However, it is said that women are more cautious at the wheel. The statistics show that men tend to be over-represented in traffic accidents although women are said to get distracted more easily, for example by looking at themselves in mirrors. This study discusses to what extent women's driving patterns differ from those of men, how they have changed in recent decades and what the future predicts, taking into account the accident data of these groups. We contrast the popular belief, which portrays women as bad drivers, with data compiled from the literature on evolutionary and constitutional differences and the differing vulnerability of the two genders. We analyse whether differences exist in the frequency of driving between men and women, evaluating the characteristics, types of journey, accident data and, among other issues, styles of driving: caution vs. aggression at the wheel.

Keywords

• Driving behaviour
• fatal crashes
• gender differences
• stereotypes.