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Who Gets into More Car Accidents in Houston: Men or Women?

According to recent statistics, Houston experiences a staggering number of car accidents. In fact, the most recent stats show that Houston saw 67,644 accidents in 2023. 42,639 of those wrecks caused no injuries, but 1,360 accidents caused suspected serious injuries and 290 people died in crashes.

But who caused more accidents in Houston, men or women? According to sexist stereotypes, women are worse drivers than men, but men engage in riskier acts behind the wheel. Can we blame a majority of accidents on either sex? The Stano Law Firm jumps into the debate by reviewing the most important statistics.

Male Drivers Cause More Fatal Accidents in Texas

Texas only makes gender information available for fatal accidents. Most accidents in Texas are non-fatal, so this is only a small slice of the total number of collisions that happen in the state. We wish we had more complete information. Nonetheless, the evidence we do have is suggestive.

In 2023, the breakdowns were:

  • 549 female drivers were killed in fatal accidents
  • 1,507 male drivers were killed in fatal accidents

This is roughly a 3:1 ration, which is extremely lopsided. There are slightly more women than men in Texas, so if men and women drove the same, then we would see slightly more female drivers killed. We see the opposite—many more male drivers dying in wrecks. The obvious conclusion is that they are more dangerous drivers.

Interestingly the gender of killed passengers was much closer:

  • 317 female passengers killed
  • 380 male passengers killed

These numbers buttress the point above: male drivers are more likely to get into a fatal crash because of dangerous actions. For example, they might show off by performing dangerous maneuvers or by going much too fast.

Men Drive More, However

The fact that men get into more fatal accidents isn’t proof they cause more accidents in total. Men probably engage in riskier behavior, which increases the risk of dying in a crash. But women might cause more non-fatal accidents. We just don’t have the gender breakdown for non-fatal accidents in Texas.

According to Consumer Affairs, women drivers outnumber male drivers in the U.S., 119 million women to 116 million men, but men drive substantially more:

  • Men drive on average 13,356 miles a year
  • Women drive an average of 9,838 miles per year

Based on miles driven, we would expect to see more men cause any type of accident (fatal and non-fatal combined).

Age Matters a Great Deal, Too

Younger drivers are more likely to get into fatal accidents than older drivers. For example:

  • 58 male drivers aged 21 were killed in fatal accidents, which was the most for any age. The next highest was age 23, with 54 drivers killed.
  • Younger female drivers were also more likely to die in a fatal accident. 20 drivers aged 21 were killed, which was the highest number for any age. Drivers aged 24 had 18 fatalities.

The numbers for elderly drivers are much lower, even if they are more infirm. Of course, there are probably fewer 80-year-olds behind the wheel than 22-year-olds, so we must take that fact into consideration.

Are All Drivers Held to the Same Standard?

To receive compensation for a car accident, we need to prove the defendant failed to use reasonable care, which ended up causing your wreck. This is called proving “negligence,” and it is the main reason why a motorist is at fault for a crash.

Reasonable care is an objective standard which is the same for men and women, as well as drivers of all ages. For example, a very elderly driver might have slower reflexes. But they can’t use that as an excuse for why they got into a wreck. Similarly, a young man can’t claim, “Hey, I’m a young man driven by hormones to take risks.” He must drive safely, just like anyone else.

The law requires that drivers use reasonable care, not simply drive as safely as they can. The reasonable care standard isn’t terribly demanding, but it does require following the rules of the road and being consciously careful. Most accidents are caused by negligence—accidentally looking at your phone when you shouldn’t or “spacing out” behind the wheel and tailgating or going a little over the speed limit.

Other accidents are caused by reckless behavior—going 20 miles over the speed limit, pulling into a crowd, or driving on the sidewalk. This truly dangerous activity could warrant the payment of punitive damages.

Were You Injured in an Accident? Call The Stano Law Firm

Our Houston car accident lawyer can review the facts to determine fault and then negotiate with an insurance company for a fair settlement to cover your damages. It’s a major mistake to tackle a personal injury case on your own, so contact us today by calling 832-777-0390.