We finally end the debate on who is the most accident prone and who causes the most car crashes – and the results are surprising!
First things first, getting in a car accident is one of those unfortunate things that happen to the best of us. Sometimes, no matter how good of a driver you are, there is no avoiding a crash. Because of this, make sure you have car insurance.
Right then, back to the debate.
We looked at the data, examined the stats, and have put together the answers to who is the most accident prone on the road between certain groups of people:
Seniors vs. Teens
Who causes more crashes? Teens.
Obviously, we expect more mistakes from younger drivers. The first few years of driving are pretty risky.
According to IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are 3 times more likely to crash than drivers older than 20.
Novice drivers cause significantly more car crashes compared to seniors. For example, in the US, experts believe that 12.2% of accidents are caused by teen drivers and 7.5% are caused by drivers older than 65.
We think this may be linked to issues such as texting while driving, passengers distracting drivers, and aggressive or impulsive behaviour on the road.
Of course, seniors are linked to issues such as vision impairments and slower response time which could lead to accidents.
Men vs. Women
Who causes more crashes? Men.
This is a common debate that many of us have gotten involved in at social gatherings.
But the truth is, men are more accident prone than women.
Men have been known to have more drunk driving accidents and are seen as more aggressive on the road. They are also viewed as bigger risk-takers, whereas women are often more cautious.
Men get more DUIs, traffic violations, and are deemed responsible for a greater portion of car accidents, while research suggests that women are more likely to follow road rules such as speed limits, and less likely to indulge in alcoholic drinks before driving.
Studies even suggest that women are 27% less likely to cause accidents, and are statistically safer, less accident prone drivers.
Cyclists vs. Drivers
Who causes more crashes? Cyclists.
Here’s what the research suggests:
“Drivers and cyclists are equally responsible for causing bike crashes.”
But, a cyclist is twice as likely as a motorist to get in an accident and most of these accidents have nothing to do with cars.
Bike accidents are often due to a lack of bike lanes, poor surfacing, and a lack of road safety education, which makes it difficult for drivers and cyclists to share space on the roads.
Drivers do not obey the 1.2m rule – this is the amount of space that should be left between a car and a bicycle. Cyclists are also often unaware of the proper road rules – basically, both parties are to blame but cyclists are more accident prone than cars.
Both drivers and cyclists need to be more considerate of one another on the road and drivers need to ensure they are aware of cyclists. Always check your blind spot when overtaking, keep clear of the side lines on the roads, and know that you as a driver are more protected in your car than a cyclist is on their bike, so watch out for bikers and be careful how you drive.
Of course, when driving you need to make sure that you obey the rules of the road, are cautious of other drivers, and do not act aggressively or impulsively in situations. If you happen to cause an accident (even if you’re not accident prone) it’s worth taking a look at our blog post on how to ensure your car insurance claim goes through.
Your Insurance Family,
Oneplan
