Women the safer drivers

Press, 26 June 1978, Page 21

Women the safer drivers

NZPA Copenhagen Analysis of more than 70,000 traffic accidents in Denmark shows that the belief that women are poor drivers is false. If men behind the steering wheel had the safety record of women drivers, Denmark’s traffic accidents would drop some 20 per cent, the statistics showed. The analysis, published in the journal tff the Association of Danish Motorists, was done by a civil engineer, Mr Carsten sWass, who was awarded a bachelor’s degree for his traffic-safety study. The analysis was particularly praised for a new methodology which made it possible for Mr Wass not only to illustrate which groups — age, sex of drivers and type of vehicle — were the most exposed to accidents, but also which were the most accident-prone. Mr Wass statistically made allowance for the fact that women drivers are fewer and drive less often than men drivers. He found that in no age-group were men safer drivers than women. In the 15 to 25 age-group, male drivers are almost three times as prone as female drivers. From 25 to 70 years of age women drivers consistently matched men in driving safely.