h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Men believe themselves to be better drivers than women and *believe* that they are also safer. They tend to drive more aggressively (not just speed), and more break the law intentionally (speed, red light running, driving in bus lanes, tailgating, etc. The more a driver intentionally breaks the law, the more likely s/he is to be involved in an accident, *whether at fault or not*.

Women tend to believe they are not skillful, but believe themselves to be safe and tend to have more of the unintentional type, ie. misjudgements. Their accidents tend to be at lower speeds.

Interestingly, in any given accident, women are more likely to be more badly injured than an equivalent male. This appears to be due to a less robust body structure.

These findings are based on research with drivers into drivers' attitudes and accident involvement. It does not mean that it is always the case. There are (still) more male drivers than female. I'm not sure what research there is into actual mileage driven. In general, the more miles driven, the more likelihood of an accident there is.

Women's attitudes appear to be changing and some women are beginning to drive as aggressively as men.

Pity I can't post links to the relevant university sites. I could make links available on my personal space or on a separate entry if anyone is interested.

It is my belief that most drivers do not consciously make any effort to be skillful or observant whilst driving. Driving is seen as a rite of passage, a right and something that everyone does. Drivers who actively concentrate, anticipate and have a tolerant attitude (CAT) make much safer drivers. Skill also helps, but drivers who do CAT are more likely to take pride in their driving, which includes improving their skills.

(Perhaps this thread should have started 'CATS make better drivers'!