The majority of men believe they are better drivers than women, according to a study.
New research reveals that 55 per cent of males consider themselves superior behind the wheel, with Millennial men the most confident of all age groups.
A staggering nine out of 10 are convinced they’re a better driver than their girlfriend or wife, while 81 per cent said they feel safer being in charge of the vehicle.
‘Across the board, men seem to be adamant that they are better behind the wheel,’ Nick Zapolski, motoring expert and founder of ChooseMyCar.com, who commissioned the survey of 2,000 people, said.
‘And there does seem to be a trend that males are more likely to drive than their partners.’
But is their confidence backed by science?
Scientists have previously carried out a range of studies to analyse whether there is any link between car safety and the gender of the person driving.
Here, the Daily Mail breaks down the results.
Nine out of 10 men believe they are a better driver than their wife or girlfriend, according to a new survey (file image)
Recent statistics show that in 2024, 76 per cent of UK road fatalities and 61 per cent of casualties were male.
The Department for Transport (DfT) data also reveals that men are significantly more likely to be involved in road traffic collisions and incidents than women
Men are also more likely to be involved in speeding offences, drink–driving, using a mobile phone while in charge of a vehicle and not wearing seatbelts.
A previous study, carried out by Privilege Insurance, found that women really are more proficient behind the wheel but lack the confidence to say it.
When put through their paces, female motorists comfortably beat men in a series of driving tests.
They also performed better when observed driving around one of Britain’s busiest junctions, Hyde Park Corner in London.
In the tests, men and women conformed to gender stereotypes – with men more likely to take risks, drive too close to the car in front, cut corners, go through lights on amber or talk and text at the wheel.
By contrast, women are more likely to be courteous and considerate, take care when approaching potential hazards, use their mirrors correctly and stop at lights when they turn amber.
Department for Transport figures reveal the difference in male and female fatalities and casualties in great Britain
The results came from a series of tests designed by driving instructor Neil Beeson.
A sample of 50 male and female drivers faced an in–car assessment along a specially designed route, while 200 more were observed anonymously at Hyde Park Corner.
The motorists were marked on 14 different aspects of driving including speed, observational skill, response to other road users and traffic light obedience. They were then given a score out of 30.
Overall, women scored 23.6 points (79 per cent) out of a possible 30, while men managed only 19.8 (66 per cent).
Meanwhile, a 2020 report compiled by comparison website Confused.com revealed that men are four times more likely to wind up in court for motoring crimes and twice as likely to make insurance claims compared to women.
This was reflected in the fact that, at the time of the report, men typically paid £92 a year more than women for their insurance.
The report also found men are more likely to have bad driving habits. For example, almost one in four admit not indicating when switching lanes, compared with around one in six women.
Researchers from the University of Westminster have also studied accident figures from police injury statistics, road traffic data and the national travel survey.
They examined the risk posed by men and women to other road users from bicycles, cars and taxis, vans, buses, lorries and motorbikes.
Women should be employed in road transport jobs over men to reduce the overall risk to other road users, the team concluded.
Finally, a study of professional racers has found women are genetically better at dealing with the extreme conditions at the wheel.
‘It’s a common misconception by men that they are superior drivers – but there is little to no evidence to support the belief,’ Mr Zapolski said. ‘It’s time for men to stop having such false confidence. Relax and be a passenger princess instead.’
