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

  • Concern over seat belt use in Europe
    November 1, 2012
    Concern has been expressed over recidivist motorists in Europe who continue to flout seatbelt laws, despite strong evidence that they risk serious injury or death. According to recent police safety data, results from a recent pan-European seatbelt control operation show that nearly 100,000 drivers and passengers were detected not wearing seatbelts. A total of 25 countries took part in the operation, which was co-ordinated by the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL). Of the final total of 97,489 detectio
  • Roads remain safe?
    February 23, 2012
    Driving test errors will keep three drivers off the roads in South Korea, the US and the UK. In South Korea a 68 year old woman has notched up what may well be a world record, failing her written driving test examination for the 771st time.
  • AECOM seatbelt and phone use trial expanded
    March 8, 2024
    More police forces in the UK are joining the National Highways’ trial of safety cameras that automatically detect motorists breaking seatbelt and mobile phone use laws.
  • New report suggests older drivers are safe
    December 4, 2012
    A new report by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) in the UK suggests that older drivers are as safe as drivers from all other age groups, and perhaps more so. The study shows older drivers have better attitudes to safety, deal with hazards better than young drivers and use experience to increase their safety margins on the road. The report reveals that drivers over 75 react just as quickly as other age groups when a vehicle emerges from a side road or if the car in front brakes suddenly on a rural r