Elderly female drivers 'three times as likely to crash' after years of letting their husband’s drive
New research has shown that elderly female drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a car crash than men in the same age bracket.
According to a study by the AA, for every billion miles travelled by women over the age of 70, 173 of them are seriously injured or killed in a car crash, compared to 63 men over 70.
The motoring organisation believes the figures can be explained by women allowing their male partners to be the default driver as they get older.
And with women having a higher life expectancy than men, they are more likely to be driving later in life.
Edmund King, AA Charitable Trust Director, said: “Being the default driver means men are more likely to gain greater driving experience throughout their life.
“When they reach old age, this bank of experience is a great asset and may be one of the reasons why men are so much more likely than women to keep their driving licence past the age of 70.
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“It may also help explain why women drivers become increasingly more likely than men of the same age to be killed or seriously injured in a crash.”
Mr King added: “We need to make sure we are encouraging all drivers to keep their skills up to date.
“Banking a wealth of on-road experience over many years can help ensure drivers enter the later stages of their driving life with as much confidence and competence as possible.”
The AA study also found that male drivers in the 17-20 age bracket are three times more likely to crash than their female counterparts.
An Office for National Statistics study found that men over the age of 65 are six times more likely than women to be the default driver in their relationship.
