Men behind the wheel: Three times more violations and accidents than women

Men are three times more likely than women to commit traffic violations while driving and to be involved in accidents. Moreover, they are more likely to create situations on the road that are highly dangerous to others. Men are also twice as likely to drive under the influence and nearly one-third more likely to receive a prison sentence for reckless driving. Perhaps it comes down to cultural norms and the different attitudes men and women have toward driving. These are the conclusions reached by Anton Kazun, Assistant Professor at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences, and Research Assistant Mikhail Belov.

There is a stereotype that women are worse driver than men; female drivers are perceived to be less careful behind the wheel, more easily stressed, reacting poorly to unforeseen situations, and struggling with navigation. According to this stereotype, it is generally assumed that women are more likely to cause road accidents. Anton Kazun, Assistant Professor at HSE FES, and Mikhail Belov, Research Assistant at the International Centre for the Study of Institutions and Development, have examined whether this assumption is fair and whose driving is more dangerous.

The authors reviewed almost 160,000 published court decisions regarding violations of road rules and vehicle operation issued between 2010 and 2022 in Russia. It was found that in over 90% of these cases, the defendants were men. The authors performed normalisation and calculated the frequency of accidents considering the difference in the number of drivers of each sex (68% of men and only 22% of women drive). After accounting for the gender imbalance among drivers, men are 3.25 times more likely to be involved in accidents that lead to criminal cases. 

The researchers hypothesised that the difference in driving behaviour between men and women is due to varying attitudes: men tend to drive faster and more aggressively. For example, men drive an average of 26% more kilometres per day than women yet spend only 10% more time behind the wheel. Additionally, men are more likely to drive under the influence: in a quarter of criminal cases, male drivers were charged with drunk driving. Among women convicted of traffic offenses, only 10% were charged with driving under the influence. Men are significantly more likely to cause road accidents that result in fatalities or injuries. Even after accounting for gender normalisation, three-quarters of those charged with offences involving significant public danger are men. In nearly two-thirds of cases, men are sentenced to imprisonment, whereas women receive a prison sentence in only 50% of cases. 

According to the authors, this difference can be partially attributed to variations in gender socialisation, socio-economic factors, and regional cultural differences. In some regions, such as Primorye, Moscow, or St. Petersburg, the gap in the number of accidents caused by women and men is narrower than the national average. In others, such as Dagestan or Chukotka, the gap can be much wider, ranging from 6 to 10 or even 20 times. 

In large cities, women are more likely to drive, whereas in the southern regions of Russia, driving is predominantly seen as a male activity. This regional variation suggests significant differences in driving styles across the country, which may be linked to local cultural factors. The state should consider cultural norms and work to enhance the driving safety of everyone on the road.

'The overall objective is to ensure that men and women have equal opportunities and rights in education, employment, and family life. At the same time, it can be assumed that having more careful and safer drivers, such as women, on the roads could generally improve driving standards and reduce the number of accidents. However, this process is likely to take time. It is also important to consider what measures need to be taken to ensure that men drive with the same level of caution as women,' according to Assistant Professor at HSE FES Anton Kazun.