Roadside fatality figures show men take greater risks - Car Rental News
Roadside fatality figures show men take greater risks
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Car Rental News - 29/10/2009
Drivers urged to follow safety regulations and carry high-visibility clothing
According to statistics released by the Department for Transport(DfT), males are three times more likely to be killed or seriously injured after car breakdowns or similar mishaps on the roadsides.
Despite the number of male and female drivers on the road not being too different-- only 20% in favour of males-- DfT records show that 768 women were killed or injured on motorways between 1994 and 2008, compared to 2,058 men. A glaring difference that overshadows the ratio of men to women drivers.
Analysts believe this could because men tend to be more inclined to think they can fix problems even where they can't. Males, driven by ego or social pressure tend to think of themselves as rescuers in these situations, and would be more likely to investigate problems rather than taking themselves within a safe distance from the car to wait for professional help.
Road safety guidelines advise drivers to remove themselves from a potentially dangerous situation, and await the arrival of professional rescue services. Women as a rule appear to be much more inclined to follow safety precautions than men, and therefore are less prone to incurring fatal or serious injuries in breakdown situations.
As winter approaches, driving late in the day or in the night becomes that much more dangerous, and experts have advised drivers to be cautious when driving during the late hours. Dft statistics show that accidents happening in the night are twice as likely to result in fatalities as those occurring in the daytime, when visibility is not a factor.
The UK does not mandate having high-visibility clothes in cars at all times, as many other European countries do. Experts urge drivers to use these of their own volition, and have also urged the government to make the carriage of such protection mandatory.
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