Skip to main content

Men more likely to pass UK driving test than women, says IAM research

British men are 6.4% more likely than British women to pass their practical driving test, according to road safety charity the IAM. But while young men are more likely to pass their driving test, they are also three times more likely to be killed or seriously injured (KSI) behind the wheel. The IAM findings are a result of analysing pass rates statistics from the Department for Transport (DfT) published in August 2012 for the financial year 2011-2012.
September 19, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
British men are 6.4% more likely than British women to pass their practical driving test, according to road safety charity the IAM. But while young men are more likely to pass their driving test, they are also three times more likely to be killed or seriously injured (KSI) behind the wheel.

The IAM findings are a result of analysing pass rates statistics from the 5432 Department for Transport (DfT) published in August 2012 for the financial year 2011-2012.

For example, the pass rate for men in Bradford (Heaton) is 39%, compared to 26 per cent for women. In 2010 in Bradford, 22 young male drivers were killed or seriously injured in car accidents, while just four young female drivers were.

Other areas which reported a significantly high gender gap for test passes were Wolverhampton, where men are 12.6 per cent more likely to pass their test. In 2010, 13 young male drivers and one woman were involved in KSI crashes. 

In Birmingham (South Yardley) men are 12.6% more likely to pass their test, while there were 38 young male drivers from Birmingham in KSI incidents in 2010, and six young female drivers.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “As men make up the majority of drivers, a slight variation in figures can be expected. However, these figures suggest something is going wrong with the way we teach new drivers to cope with risk on the road. Unless we can crack the gender problem in road safety, young men will continue to die in higher numbers.

"These findings must be used to inform research to find out why pass rates and causes of fatal car accidents vary so much between men and women."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • European Transport Safety Commission makes call for traffic safety boost
    July 10, 2015
    In 2013, 7,600 people died in road traffic while cycling or walking in European Union (EU) countries – the equivalent of a commercial airliner full of passengers being lost every week Because of this risk of death, the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) wants vehicle manufacturers and local authorities to pay special attention to improving safety for cyclists, walkers and pedestrians. In a new report, the ETSC said the numbers being killed are falling more slowly than those for vehicle occupants. Over
  • IAM wants tougher penalties for texting drivers
    September 17, 2013
    Drivers convicted of causing death by dangerous driving should be given stronger and more consistent penalties, according to UK road safety charity the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists). An IAM analysis of eleven recent prosecutions involving mobile and smartphone use revealed that the average sentence for causing death by dangerous driving is four-and-a-half years in prison and a disqualification from driving for seven years. In all of the cases analysed, the convicted drivers were found to have lost
  • Crash injury risks vary between males and females
    March 1, 2021
    Crash injury risks vary between males and females in the US according to research.
  • Safety improvements in developed nations
    August 20, 2013
    At a time when road safety is posing a significant threat to both human health and economic development around the world, it is worth noting that in many developed nations the situation is improving. The United Nations has identified road safety as a major problem and established its Decade of Action for Road Safety for the 2010-2020 period, in a bid to cut the growing death toll. But while developing nations are seeing a vast growth in vehicle numbers and road fatalities, the improving road safety situ