The majority of commercial truck drivers in the United States are male. However, according to a recent study, male truck drivers are much more likely to be involved in a crash than female truck drivers. According to the study, which was conducted by a group of researchers in the United Kingdom, if gender inequalities were eliminated in the trucking industry, opening up more opportunities for women drivers, the incidents of trucking accidents could show a significant decrease.
The Study
For the study, the research team analyzed data from six different types of vehicle accidents and found that in five of those vehicle types, male drivers presented a much greater risk of causing a crash than female drivers.
When it came to cars and vans, male drivers posed twice as much risk of causing an accident as female drivers. A male driving a tractor-trailer presented four times the risk of crashing than a female driver. The risk of crashing a motorcycle spiked by 10 times more when the driver of the bike was a male compared to a female driver.
The researchers concluded that gender inequities in many professions that involve driving need to be eliminated in order to lower the number of vehicle accidents that occur on the nation’s roads. They found that due to the majority of professional drivers being males, accident rates are higher than they would be if females played significant roles in these same professions.
Other Studies
Multiple studies have shown that males do have a much higher accident rate than females no matter what the reason for driving is. While there are more male drivers and men do tend to drive more vehicle miles than women, research has shown that it is more the negative driving behaviors that more men engage in than women that are the actual cause. These behaviors include drunk driving, aggressive driving, and speeding. Men are more likely not to wear seat belts compared to women.
And when the severity of crashes, those caused by male drivers are more serious than accidents caused by female drivers.
Victims of Truck Crashes
Truck accidents are more complex than other types of vehicle accidents and often have more than one at-fault party. Victims of truck accidents should consider retaining the services of an experienced Virginia personal injury attorney who will conduct a thorough investigation of the crash, including obtaining the driving and employment record of the truck driver, maintenance records, and other critical information which will help determine the cause of the crash and which parties are responsible.
If you or a family member has been injured in a truck accident, or if you have lost a loved one in a crash, contact a seasoned Virginia truck accident attorney to discuss what legal recourse you may have. Even if it is not entirely clear who is the at-fault party, a Va. injury attorney will be able to determine which party or parties are liable. At Shapiro, Appleton & Washburn, our injury attorneys have represented numerous truck accident victims and have the legal expertise to handle these complex cases with positive results.
RELATED CONTENT
- Virginia Injury Lawyer: Garbage Truck Safety for Drivers
- Attorney Discusses Fatal Truck Wreck That Was Due to Bad Truck Brakes
- Virginia Truck Driver Involved in Wrongful Death Lawsuit