Women in the driver's seat: Trends in sex differences in driving and death

The social meanings associated with the control of automobiles, involving among other things power, prestige, and independence, have led to driving being defined traditionally as within the masculine purview. One consequence of changing sex roles has been women's gradual usurpation of this formerly male prerogative. The proportion of women licensed to drive has increased markedly, a difference especially pronounced among the younger age groups. Male drivers log more miles than female drivers, and male accident rates have traditionally been higher than female rates. However, controlling for exposure to risk, the sex difference in accident rates has declined, and female mortality from traffic accidents has increased markedly. The possibility of sex differences in driving style is discussed. If driver-education programs and other attempts at intervention are to be effective, then it is important to become cognizant of women, especially young women, as a new population-at-risk, and to modify efforts so as to reach this new target group.Women in the Driver's Seat is part of a larger study of sex roles: Dying To Be Equal: Accelerating Trends in Female Mortality, coauthored with Ellen Gee, in preparation. A preliminary version was presented to the Society for the Study of Social Problems at their annual meeting in New York City, August, 1980.