Male vs. Female Driving Statistics 2026

Driving demographics statistics

Registered female drivers have outnumbered male drivers in the U.S. since 2005. This makes sense, considering women and girls represent more than 50% of the U.S. population. However, the female population has outnumbered men in the U.S. since 1946, meaning it took more than half a century for America’s gender demographics to be reflected among the number of registered American drivers.

In 2022, there were more licensed female drivers than male drivers in every age group 30 years old or older.

Gender also impacts car insurance rates: While younger men are likely to pay higher rates due to riskier driving behaviors, some studies have shown that rates for women are higher once they reach the age of 35.

Which gender does the most driving?

According to the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), men have historically done more driving than women, though this gap appears to be narrowing with time. According to 2017 data, American women drove about 26% less miles than American men.

While comparable data was not collected as part of the 2022 NHTS, that survey does indicate that men travel more miles per day on average than women (31 versus 26, respectively). However, those daily travel averages reflect all modes of transit, not just driving.

The 2022 NHTS does show that among drivers 50 years of age and older, men drive more than women. Among American men ages 50 and older, 94% were drivers, and they drove an average of 28 miles per day. Among American women ages 50 and older, 93% were drivers, and they drove an average of 21 miles per day.

The 2022 NHTS also shows that in their category, more men drive than women. In 2022, 77% of American men and 75% of women were drivers.

New and used car sales by gender

Car sales statistics suggest that gender plays a role in the type of vehicle purchased by car buyers. Men make up the majority of new car buyers, while women hold the slight majority of used car buyers. Used cars make up about three-quarters of all car sales in an average year.

Motor vehicle crashes by gender

Male drivers are significantly more likely to be involved in fatal car accidents than female drivers. In 2021, male drivers accounted for just over 74% of fatal U.S. car crashes. The same holds true over the past 25 years, as male drivers were involved in roughly three-quarters of all fatal crashes annually.

Drivers of both genders have experienced an uptick in fatal crashes since 2011. Overall, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes increased by 37% between 2011 and 2021. Fatal crashes involving male drivers were up by nearly 38% over this period, while fatal crashes involving female drivers rose by over 34%.

What are the most common fatal crashes by gender?

Among the reasons that men are more likely than women to be involved in fatal crashes is their likelihood to engage in riskier driving practices, such as speeding and driving while under the influence of alcohol. In 2022, 20% of male drivers involved in a fatal car accident were speeding, while the same was true for only 12% of female drivers.

Drunk driving statistics by gender

Similarly, male drivers are much more likely than female drivers to be killed in car accidents involving alcohol. In 2022, 4,709 male drivers who died in motor vehicle accidents had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. The corresponding number for female drivers was only 1,328.