Male Drivers Far More Likely than Female Drivers to Die in a Crash

Nationwide, white males between the ages of 21 and 25 are the demographic most likely to get into a deadly car crash with 3,036 collisions in 2021, according to a new study from Neufeld Law firm.

White males 26 to 30 years old were the second most likely group to die in a collision in 2021 — with 2,958 accidents. That was followed by white males aged 31 to 35.

The data was extracted from the National Highway Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

Particularly noteworthy, the research indicates that male drivers are much more likely to crash their vehicles compared to female drivers, regardless of age and race.

For example, out of 117,566,578 licensed female drivers in the United States there have only been 6,049 fatal crashes in 2021, resulting in a rate of 5.1 crashes per 100,000 licensed population.

However, out of 115,215,219 licensed male drivers there were 21,329 accidents, resulting in a rate of 18.5 crashes per 100,000 licensed population.

The fatality figures raise concerns about young drivers and male drivers. For example, it is people between 21 and 25 years old — the second youngest category of drivers — who crash and die most often.

While that could indicate recklessness on the part of young people when behind the wheel, it can also point to a need for more training as young drivers are still learning how to navigate on the road. Their skills simply may not be as honed as more seasoned drivers.

Moreover, the fact that male drivers are significantly more at risk for a collision than female drivers could lead to the assumption that men are more aggressive or take more chances while driving as opposed to women.

Previous studies have shown that men typically drive more miles than women and are more likely to engage in risky driving practices.

Driving practices such as not using seat belts, driving while impaired by alcohol, and speeding, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Moreover, crashes involving male drivers often are more severe than those involving female drivers.

Some 72% percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths in 2021 were males.

According to IIHS, males accounted for 72% of passenger vehicle driver deaths, 48% of passenger vehicle passenger deaths, 97% of large truck driver deaths, 67% of large truck passenger deaths, 70% of pedestrian deaths, 86% of bicyclist deaths, and 92% of motorcyclist deaths.