This age-old question has surely come up at some point in your lifetime, and you may even claim to know the answer. Fortunately, we have the research to either back or destroy your hypothesis.
Do Men or Women Cause More Accidents?
Women. According to the Federal Highway Administration, female drivers travel about 6,408 miles less than men annually. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that men cause, on average, 6.1 million accidents annually compared to the 4.4 million caused by women annually, meaning men account for 62% of all driving but only cause 58% of all accidents.
This means that women do cause more accidents on average per capita. But are women more dangerous drivers? Short answer: no, men are statistically worse drivers.
Reasons for Gender Differences in Accident Rates
Which Gender Is More Often Legally Licensed?
Women. According to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, 105.7 million women are licensed drivers compared to only 104.3 million men.
Given that more men drive compared to women, this means that more males operate passenger vehicles unlicensed compared to women drivers. Further, only 9% of crashes are caused by women compared to the 14% caused by unlicensed men.
Which Gender Gets More Traffic Citations?
Men. Men receive over 70% of all traffic violations given for violating traffic laws, such as not following the speed limit. Further, women are killed far less in speeding incidents, with 927 women killed compared to the 3,420 men killed on average. With this statistic, do men really cause more fatal crashes?
Which Gender Causes More Fatal Accidents?
Men. The IIHS reports that motor vehicle crashes involving men are far more severe when compared to women. Contributing factors that males are more likely to cause fatal injuries include speed, driving while under the influence of alcohol, aggressive driving, and driving without a seat belt.
For example, in 2017, according to the Insurance Information Institute, women caused 12,502 fatal crashes when compared to the 37,477 caused by men.
Which Gender Is More Likely To Survive a Serious Accident?
Men. Interestingly, female drivers have a higher fatality rate in serious accidents when the accident involves a male driver.
A reason for this, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, is that women are more likely to buy safer economy vehicles while males are more likely to buy heavy trucks. If a man and a woman collide with equally sized vehicles, of course, their survival rates are identical.
Which Gender Gets More DUIs?
Men are more likely to use substances when driving (accounting for their higher rate of fatal crashes), such as drunk driving. In 2010, 4 out of 5 drunk-driving crashes in the US involved male drivers.
Further, males under the age of 34 only make up 11% of the US adult census but account for 32% of the nation’s DUIs.
Verdict: While women may cause more fender benders on average overall, there is a clear trend that men cause much more fatal accidents or severe injuries per capita.
Whether or not women or men are safer drivers is open to debate, but it is clear that men tend to disobey laws more often, causing more serious collisions in comparison. So, how does this apply to Washington, DC?
What Is the Statute of Limitations on Car Accidents in Washington, DC?
3 years. Washington DC Code §12-301 applies to all personal injury claims to self or property damage and limits suits after 3 years to the day of the car accident. However, if someone died as a result of the traffic accident, Washington DC Code §16-2702 gives a statute of limitation of 2 years for a wrongful death claim.
This means that the limitation a person would have to file suit for death resulting from an accident would be 2 years to the day of the death. The date of the accident would not start the 2 years if the person did not die at the scene of the car accident.
How Long Should I Wait to File a Lawsuit for a Car Accident in DC?
In Washington, DC, you have a 3-year window from the date of a car accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. It is not necessarily the best option to sue right away, as this may allow you time to position yourself for proper compensation. This is especially true when medical bills are involved.
However, deciding when to sue within the statute of limitations can be very complicated and is certainly very fact-dependent on your unique case. Position your interests as strategically as possible. Contacting an experienced auto accident lawyer in Washington, DC, is your best choice for any claims you may have from a car accident.
Pros and Cons of Settling a Washington, DC Auto Accident Case
A settlement is an agreement between the injured person and the at-fault driver’s insurance company or themselves, if the driver was uninsured at the time of the accident.
Settling with insurance companies or individuals is a complicated, strategic process that often requires an experienced attorney for the best settlement outcomes. This is especially true when dealing with motor vehicle accidents that may involve medical care after the fact.
Things an injured party should note for settlement negotiations:
- the injuries themselves
- the treatment for the injuries (as well as how long treatment may last)
- any increased risk for other possible injuries stemming from the accident
- any prior loss in wages
- loss in potential future wages
- loss of earning potential stemming from the injuries
- projected litigation costs if a settlement is not reached
Advantages of a Settlement:
- A dollar value for Compensatory Damages can be set at the negotiation of the injured party instead of a dollar value set by an impartial jury or judge
- Monetary compensation can be sent to the injured party in an expedited fashion compared to waiting for a court to rule on the matter
Disadvantages of a Settlement:
- The injured party waives their right to a trial
- A court or jury may award a greater dollar value for the injured party depending on how resistant the negligent party is to negotiations.
Experienced Car Accident Lawyers – Washington, DC
Do not fight the insurance company alone. For legal representation in Washington DC, contact Bruckheim & Patel. Our experienced DC car accident lawyer will fight for you to receive the maximum compensation possible based on all the facts of the case and the at-fault party.
Additionally, obtaining representation is essential so that you may recover from your physical injuries while having your accident attorneys do the heavy lifting on your behalf. Contact us today!
