Automotive Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

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

While some 6,049 female drivers lost their lives in crashes in the U.S. in 2021, a staggering 21,329 male drivers died while behind the wheel.

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

A new analysis finds that male drivers are much more likely to crash their vehicles compared to female drivers, regardless of age and race.

Photo: Pexels

2 min to read


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.

Ad Loading...

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.

Ad Loading...

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.

Ad Loading...

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.

More Safety

Cover of the AgileFleet white paper "Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks" with the AgileFleet logo and a photo of fleet vehicles parked outside a government building.
SponsoredAugust 7, 2026

Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks

Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness

Read More →
conference attendees watching a speaker
Safetyby StaffAugust 6, 2026

NETS Sets 2026 Fleet Safety Benchmark Conference for Indianapolis

The Sept. 15–17 program will feature fleet benchmarking data, case studies, emerging technologies, and implementation strategies while running alongside the NSC Safety Congress & Expo.

Read More →
NETS crash statistics overlaying an accident photo
Safetyby Chris BrownAugust 5, 2026

Off-the-Job Crashes Account for 43% of Employers’ $61.7 Billion Crash Burden

NETS quantifies costs dispersed across fleet, risk, HR, and other departments while providing new per-crash benchmarks for employers.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
red ram recall image
Safetyby Faith HowellAugust 3, 2026

Ram Recalls More Than 1.27 Million 1500 Pickups for Seat Belt Anchor Issue

The recall affects certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 pickups that may have improperly attached second-row seat belt buckle anchors.

Read More →
Promotional graphic for a Utilimarc guide titled How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48% featuring a call-to-action to download the guide.
SponsoredJuly 17, 2026

How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48%

Fleet leaders don't need more data, they need clearer visibility into what the data is saying. This case study explores how one utility replaced speeding-event counts with a single metric — miles driven in violation — to strengthen safety and significantly reduce speeding violations.

Read More →
Smiling commercial truck driver gives a thumbs-up from inside a tractor cab during Operation Safe Driver Week 2026, highlighting fleet safety, responsible driving and enforcement awareness.
Safetyby Judie NuskeyJuly 16, 2026

Operation Safe Driver Week: Why the Industry's Oldest Safety Campaign Still Matters to Fleets

A look at how a 2007 enforcement initiative became one of the most consequential weeks on the fleet safety calendar, and what it means for your drivers in 2026.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Nexar and nauto logos
Safetyby StaffJuly 13, 2026

Nexar-Nauto Merger Aims to Give Fleets Better Safety Intelligence Through Larger Driving Dataset

Stefan Heck tells Automotive Fleet that combining more than 10 billion miles of driving history with Nexar's AI models will give fleets deeper insights into driver risk and roadway conditions than either company could provide independently.

Read More →
A black square with white color font text
SponsoredJuly 2, 2026

From Silos to Solutions: Relationship Management for Safer Fleets

From telematics adoption and driver accountability to policy consistency and risk mitigation, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build a safer fleet culture without slowing business down.

Read More →
IIHS HLDI text overlaid on the trunks of pick up trucks.
Safetyby Chris BrownJuly 2, 2026

IIHS Launches First Commercial Vehicle Safety Evaluations

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has begun evaluating heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans for driver protection. Which models earned top marks?

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A blue and white Automotive Fleet podcast logo
SafetyJuly 1, 2026

Reducing Risk by Eliminating Phone Use Behind the Wheel

Hosted with the cofounder of Lifesaver Mobile, this episode addresses phone use behind the wheel and how to design a driving environment that actually helps prevents accidents.

Read More →