Eight in ten people who die in road accidents are men in Belgium. The injuries that men sustain are also twice as serious than for women. The institute for road safety Vias says this is because men take more risks when driving.
Of all road deaths in the country, 80% are men, a new statistical analysis by Vias published on Tuesday showed. This has even risen slightly in recent years – 10 years ago, it was 77%. Among the seriously injured, 67% of the victims are men. This share is extraordinary, considering the gender division of the total population in Belgium is 51% female and 49% male.
"Although men do drive more kilometres on average, their over-representation in accident statistics can largely be explained by their risky behaviour," spokesperson Stef Willems said.
Overestimating driving skill
Shirley Delannoy, a Vias researcher, said this seed is planted from an early age. "Boys are encouraged to take risks and show that they have everything under control, while girls are taught to be more cautious and follow the rules. "These patterns are reflected in driving behaviour. Men tend to overestimate their abilities and exhibit riskier behaviour, especially when it comes to speeding and drinking."
Vias's behavioural measurements have shown that men tend to drive too fast more often, are more easily distracted by their mobile phones, and are more likely not to wear seat belts. "In light of this, it is not surprising that almost 80% of the offenders who must follow a course at Vias as part of an alternative punishment are men."
The percentage does vary depending on the type of road user: among motorcyclists, 96% of road deaths are men; among drivers, this figure is 75%; among cyclists, it is 74% and among pedestrians, it is just 56%.
Serious accidents
Men represent ‘only’ 59% of all road traffic victims, meaning the accidents they are involved in are more serious. Vias found that, on average, injury accidents involving men are also twice as serious as accidents involving women.
"If you look at the average over the last 10 years, there are nine deaths per 1,000 injury accidents when a woman is behind the wheel, compared to 18 deaths per 1,000 injury accidents when a man is driving," Willems explained.
In the past decade, half of injury accidents involving a male driver have an aggravating factor (alcohol, not wearing a seatbelt, driving without insurance, etc.) compared to 36% of accidents involving women. For example, men are twice as likely to be involved in alcohol-related accidents.
Vias has therefore argued that awareness-raising campaigns should focus on a male audience.
