Are Women Riders Safer Than Men?

Research from Quality Planning, a research firm that works for insurance companies, shows women generally are safer drivers than men. Men are 3.4 times more likely to get a ticket for reckless driving and 3.1 times more likely to be cited for drunken driving. When it comes to motorcycle safety, this data may translate into fewer motorcycle accidents for women.

While men are 7 times more likely to take a ride on their bikes than women, they are also 15 times more likely to get into a motorcycle accident than women. Sixty-five percent of women who died in motorcycle accidents were passengers but 99% of the men who died were drivers, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This may be due to the fact that more women receive enhanced training, such as proficiency motorcycle safety courses and advanced rider development training after they pass their motorcycle test. A Nationwide Insurance study showed that in 2011, 30% of its female insured motorcycle riders had completed a motorcycle safety course as opposed to men who overwhelmingly indicated that they had taught themselves how to ride. They also tend to be more educated about their bikes than men.

A study by the Society of Judgment and Decision Making found that when it comes to risk-taking, men generally engage in riskier behaviors than women, such as riding a motorcycle without a helmet, and it seems men don’t disagree. According to the poll by MetLife, when asked who is safer on the road, 35% of men didn’t know which gender to choose.

Whether or not these statistics prove that women are better riders than men, they point to the fact that they are generally safer riders.

By Louise Reeves