RESULTS OF A new survey by AA Ireland shows that male drivers are more likely to drive over the speed limit and while under the influence while women are less confident in their skills behind the wheel and tend to leave car maintenance until the last minute.
The new gender analysis report compiles poll data gathered by AA Ireland online polls between 2008 and 2012.
The analysis shows men are more likely to exceed the speed limit by at least 10 per cent than women and are more than twice as likely to exceed the limit on motorways. 37 per cent of women will exceed the limit by 10 per cent in a 30kph zone while 44 per cent of men do.
Just 7 per cent of female drivers will exceed the limit by 10 per cent in a 120kph zone compared to 15 per cent of male drivers.
Results also show women at 71 per cent are more likely than men at 59 per cent to refrain from drinking and driving entirely. The report indicates men are also marginally more likely to take their chances and drive even if they suspect they are over the legal limit.
The report suggests that a higher percentage of men than women are likely to chance driving the morning after drinking whilst still unsure if their blood alcohol levels are back below the legal permissable limit.
Men and women were virtually neck in neck in terms of speaking on their mobile phones with results suggesting women are more likely to text.
Both genders are inclined to snack while driving and men are more likely to read a book in traffic while women are more inclined to brush their hair.
Collisions
Male respondents who have had a near miss or collision as a result of looking at something while driving were most likely to be distracted by an attractive female pedestrian or cyclist, according to the study. Women are most distracted by outdoor advertising and road traffic collisions as well as other cars stopped by GardaÃ.
The same percentages of men and women said they had crashed in the last ten years with 78 per cent of both genders also saying they had not crashed at all in the last decade.
During winter driving hazards, women are statistically less likely to skid, have a close shave or crash with 35 per cent of men and 27 per cent of women saying they have had a near miss or collision as a result of ground frost.
Both genders had the most near misses or collisions with cyclists in 2011 and 9 per cent of women and 12 per cent of men had an incident with a pedestrian.
Neither genders had a high percentage of near misses or collisions as a result of reaching back to discipline a child though 15 per cent of women and 18 per cent of men have stopped on the motorway hard shoulder within the last two years to allow a child to go to the toilet.
Men are more inclined to break red lights from time to time than women with a higher percentage of men than women saying they would break a light if there was no other traffic around.
Bouts of road rage are more common among males but around half of both genders have made rude gestures at other drivers.
According to the results, more men than women feel they would definitely pass their driving test if they were to take it again in the morning.
Men also think they are better drivers with 30 per cent saying they were well above average compared with 18 per cent of women. Â The AA Ireland study indicated that women are also more likely to neglect regular car maintenance checks than men.
Read: Fidelma Healy Eames fined €1,850 for driving without car tax>
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