Women's Role in Road Rage Up, Statistics Show Increased Aggressiveness Reflected in Insurance Rates
16 January 1998
Women's Role in Road Rage Up, Statistics Show Increased Aggressiveness Reflected in Insurance Rates
NEW YORK, Jan. 15 -- A freeway confrontation in California
that led to a fatal crash this week illustrates the findings of recent studies
showing that women are becoming increasingly aggressive drivers.
On Wednesday, two women were killed on the Golden State Freeway in a
wrong-way collision, moments after they allegedly taunted another driver. The
fatal collision highlights a growing trend of women drivers involved in
incidents of aggressive driving.
Over the last 20 years, the number of fatal traffic accidents involving
women drivers is up 18 percent, and women are involved in a higher rate of
non-fatal accidents than men.
Though men are still more likely to be involved in aggressive driving
accidents than women, the number of women involved in these incidents is on
the rise, studies have found.
The increased aggressiveness of women drivers may also reflect changes in
society, said Loretta Worters, Director of Public Relations for the Insurance
Information Institute. "Just as we have an increased number of women in the
workforce since the 1960s, more women have also gotten behind the wheel -- and
taken out their daily stress on the other drivers on the road."
In 1963, about 43 percent of drivers, or 40 million motorists, were women.
Today, more than 88 million women are licensed drivers -- about 50 percent of
motorists in the United States.
These changes have also been reflected in the premium women pay for
insurance. The cost of auto insurance has slowly increased for women --
gradually erasing a disparity that once existed for insurance costs between
the genders.
Twenty years ago, young female drivers paid about 46 percent above the
base adult rate for auto insurance, while young male drivers paid on average
187 percent above the base rate. Today, while inexperienced young male
drivers continue to pay about 185 percent above the base rate, similar groups
of women now pay 115 percent above the average base. As motorists grow older
and gain more driving experience, these rates typically decline.
Keeping a level head and avoiding highway confrontations may not only save
your life, but it may also help keep your insurance premiums down by
encouraging safe driving practices, according to Worters. "If another driver
cuts you off or tries to provoke you, don't play their game," she said, "You
may not only save your life, you may save money on your insurance by
establishing a safe driving record."
SOURCE Insurance Information Institute
